The Traitors Continues Its Global Course

Undoubtedly one of the biggest recent breakout hits in the format business, The Traitors has seen 35 local versions commissioned in under five years. The series, created by the All3Media company IDTV and sold by All3Media International, started in the Netherlands in 2021 and quickly notched up adaptations across the globe with its mix of psychological gameplay and physical challenges and themes of treachery and the breakdown of trust.

“When we launched The Traitors, we talked about it being ‘intelligent reality’ because the gameplay is a lot more strategic than most other reality shows,” says Rachel Job, senior VP of unscripted content at All3Media International. “This style of play, coupled with the theatricality and classic murder mystery tone, has a really broad audience appeal.”

Like any good format, The Traitors has allowed for the various international versions to make some of their own tweaks and adaptations along the way. “It wouldn’t have been possible to produce The Traitors in 30 territories (with 35 local versions commissioned) if the format wasn’t scalable up or down to match local territory budgets,” says Job. “One of the benefits of having a format distributed by All3Media International is that we collaborate with many different producers across the globe, and they work closely with our in-house consultants to ensure it stays true to the brand within local tariffs. We hosted a workshop for The Traitors in London, where producers of the format were able to come together to share ideas and get the latest updates from the most recent versions.”

For the different iterations, local producers are provided with a comprehensive format bible and a consultant producer to help guide the adaptation process, says Job. “Any good producer can appreciate that an eerie but luxurious location is at the heart of every version of The Traitors, as well as a diverse, relatable cast of all ages and backgrounds that appeals to a broad audience.”

As the show tends to be a noisy staple in a platform’s program lineup, each local version has usually gone “quite big” in its casting of the host, Job says. “The host walks a fine line between enforcing the rules of the game but occasionally rooting for the players, so it’s important to have someone who will play the part well.” This has included Alan Cumming in the U.S. version, Claudia Winkleman in the U.K., Rodger Corser in Australia, Paul Henry in New Zealand, Karine Vanasse in Canada and Tijl Beckand in the Netherlands, among others.

Finished tape sales are a big part of The Traitors’ success story, with over 50 territories broadcasting acquired episodes. “Buyers are picking up series from other territories to satisfy the appetites of fans who just can’t get enough of the brand,” says Job. “With online VOD services, the shelves are endless, so channels are using foreign versions to keep fans within their universe for longer and with plenty of cross-promotional opportunities on tap until the new season of their own local version is available. Unsurprisingly, the English-language versions are the most popular, with the U.K. and U.S. versions acquired by 20 different channels to date. We’re seeing broadcasters taking versions from a territory that is culturally close to theirs, but we’re also seeing interest in the original Dutch version, as people are keen to see how it all began. Additionally, we’ve seen some slightly more unexpected tape sales, such as Canada’s Bell Media licensing numerous versions, including RTL’s Hungarian version (produced by Paprika Studios), as well as Australia, the U.S., the U.K. and Canada acquiring the Asian Academy Creative Award-winning New Zealand version from South Pacific Pictures.”

This type of gamified reality is proving popular with audiences, but All3Media International isn’t looking for derivatives. One of Studio Lambert’s latest formats, The Inheritance, is set in a country mansion and involves some strategic gameplay, “but the similarities end there,” Job says. “We only acquire third-party formats that we think will turn the dial; for example, we’ve launched Chess Masters, and prior to that, it was The Underdog (aka Josh Must Win). We have been offered many self-proclaimed ‘Traitors-inspired’ formats recently, but nothing compares to the original.”