{"id":15256,"date":"2025-08-25T08:50:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T08:53:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:53:00","slug":"pakistan-idol-prepares-for-multiplatform-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/pakistan-idol-prepares-for-multiplatform-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan Idol\u00a0Prepares for Multiplatform Return"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After a decade-long hiatus, Fremantle\u2019s <em>Idols\u00a0<\/em>is returning to Pakistan, courtesy of a new adaptation by MHL Global.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan is a country with incredible talent and diverse passions, yet much of our mainstream entertainment revolves around just a few genres, like food and drama,\u201d Zoya Merchant, director of MHL Global, tells\u00a0<em>TV Formats Weekly<\/em>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/newsletters.worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/img\/2025-08-22-Pakistan-idol-logo.jpg\" alt=\"***Image***\" width=\"247\" height=\"151\" \/>on why the company wanted to resurrect the beloved singing competition in the country. \u201cWe believe there\u2019s so much more potential to explore. If you look at our neighbor India, their music industry has flourished in part because of platforms like\u00a0<em>Indian Idol<\/em>\u2014winners there have gone on to become household names and major recording artists. By bringing back\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>, we want to open up similar avenues here, giving musicians, singers and performers the visibility, mentorship and opportunity they deserve. It\u2019s about diversifying our entertainment landscape, introducing global-standard formats and helping Pakistan\u2019s talent shine on both a national and international stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To ensure a broad reach,\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>\u00a0will air concurrently on several major television networks. \u201cThis is the first time in Pakistan that a show of this scale is being broadcast simultaneously across seven major networks, alongside OTT streaming,\u201d Merchant says. \u201cThe goal was simple\u2014to take over households across the country and make\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>\u00a0a shared, must-watch weekend experience. By uniting these networks, we\u2019re ensuring the show reaches every corner of Pakistan, cutting across demographics and regions. And with the addition of OTT, fans can watch anytime, anywhere, making it a complete<em>\u00a0Idol<\/em>\u00a0experience. Whether you\u2019re sitting with family in the living room or catching up on your phone,\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>\u00a0is designed to be the entertainment highlight of your weekend nights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fawad Khan, Zeb Bangash, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Bilal Maqsood have been set as judges for the adaptation, a lineup that \u201crepresents the breadth and depth of Pakistan\u2019s music and entertainment industry,\u201d Merchant says. \u201cRahat Fateh Ali Khan is a living legend whose mastery of classical and contemporary music is unmatched, bringing gravitas and deep musical insight to the panel. Fawad Khan is not only a celebrated actor and musician, but also someone who understands stage presence, performance and what it takes to become a star. Bilal Maqsood brings decades of experience as a songwriter, producer and one-half of one of the most iconic pop bands in our history. Zeb Bangash offers a unique perspective with her versatility across genres\u2014from Coke Studio classics to film soundtracks\u2014making her a great mentor for fresh voices. Together, they bring credibility, diversity and the ability to mentor contestants in every aspect of becoming a true star.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MHL Global has devised an extensive marketing plan to reintroduce Pakistani audiences to the\u00a0<em>Idols<\/em>\u00a0format, Merchant explains. \u201cWe\u2019ve built a multi-phase campaign designed to create excitement from the ground up\u2014starting with bold, high-impact promos that showcase our star-studded judges, the scale of the production and the life-changing opportunities the show offers. We\u2019re everywhere our viewers are\u2014TV, radio, billboards, social media and digital platforms\u2014making sure\u00a0<em>Idol<\/em>\u00a0is impossible to miss. A key part of this is our online audition platform on Begin, an OTT platform, which doesn\u2019t just make auditions accessible to talent nationwide\u2014it also builds a vibrant community where fans and contestants interact, share performances and support each other\u2019s journeys. The goal is to position\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>\u00a0not just as a show, but as the entertainment event of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While\u00a0<em>Pakistan Idol<\/em>\u00a0is MHL\u2019s priority currently, Merchant says that there are opportunities to adapt other global formats in the future. \u201cThe key for us will be selecting concepts that resonate culturally, showcase local talent and bring something fresh to our entertainment landscape,\u201d Merchant says. \u201cSo, while nothing is on the immediate slate, the future holds exciting possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zoya Merchant, director of MHL Global, tells\u00a0World Screen Newsflash about bringing Fremantle&#8217;s Idols format back to Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":15226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[1482,4418,4419,4438],"class_list":["post-15256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-fremantle","tag-mhl-global","tag-pakistan-idol","tag-zoya-merchant","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - 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