{"id":15441,"date":"2025-10-27T09:42:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T13:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T09:48:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:48:38","slug":"seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven.One\u2019s Tobias Schulze Talks Format Trends"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Already home to the megabrand <em>Married at First Sight<\/em>\u00a0and the fast-growing\u00a0<em>Stranded on Honeymoon Island<\/em>, Seven.One Studios International has added\u00a0<em>Match My Ex<\/em>, a new entry in the dating formats space, to its raft of format titles. Tobias Schulze, newly promoted to senior VP of global sales at Seven.One Studios International, talks to\u00a0<em>TV Formats<\/em>\u00a0about the trends reshaping the entertainment formats space.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s your broad overview of the health of the non-scripted formats business right now? Are budgetary concerns making formats a better option for broadcasters and platforms today?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:<\/strong>\u00a0Non-scripted formats are a strong and reliable option, particularly in the current economic climate. They offer financial advantages, flexibility and brand-building opportunities. While the market is still risk-averse and the desire for proven formats exists, there\u2019s also a growing interest in original IP and innovative formats that can drive engagement and social buzz. The key is to balance the security of established formats with the potential of new ideas. At MIPCOM, we [had] a number of new format launches, including an original new dating show called\u00a0<em>Match My Ex<\/em>, in which celebrity singles hand over the matchmaking reins to their ex-lovers;\u00a0<em>Play That Song Again,<\/em>\u00a0a nostalgia-packed prime-time competition format in which the magic and music of the 1980s is re-created by contemporary artists; and also\u00a0<em>The Race<\/em>, an adventure reality format where five well-travelled content creators compete against each other to reach a distant finish line first. They have no money, no smartphones, no back up and must film themselves on their journey.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What trends are you seeing in what buyers are looking for?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>What we see is that everybody is looking for brands that can be extended. Buyers want concepts that feel safe\u2014proven formats, familiar themes like reality, competition and game shows\u2014but with a unique twist, like hybrids or fresh takes on dating. The goal is to create content that resonates with audiences, encourages conversation and keeps them guessing. Shows should have a strong narrative, a clear purpose and, ideally, a series arc for sustained interest. Family-friendly content and shows that appeal to younger demographics are desirable, as are internationally successful formats that can be produced efficiently.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What new models are you pursuing to make format rollouts more cost-effective?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>While there\u2019s general agreement that shared windows and production hubs are promising solutions for cost-effective format rollouts, there are also challenges to consider. For example, the difficulty of coordinating multiple parties to achieve cost savings through production hubs is a challenge. However, the benefits of providing clients with comprehensive support and streamlining the production process is real. Our sister production companies Snowman Productions and CPL Productions have set up successful hubs in Asia for\u00a0<em>Stranded on Honeymoon Island<\/em>\u00a0and in Bulgaria for our new reality adventure reality show\u00a0<em>The Hunt\u00a0<\/em>(w.t.). There is also a growing trend of collaboration between broadcasters and streamers.\u00a0<em>Match My Ex,\u00a0<\/em>for instance, is a collaboration between Joyn in Germany, Joyn in Austria and One+ in Switzerland.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>How important is it to take into consideration how a brand will extend to social at the outset of developing a property?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>Social media is considered an indispensable component of a non-scripted format\u2019s success. It\u2019s vital to integrate social media strategy from the initial development phase to ensure unified storytelling, real-time engagement and maximum reach. While distributors may face challenges in controlling social media strategy due to territorial rights issues, the consensus is that a strong social media presence is crucial for amplifying awareness, boosting ratings and driving viewer engagement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What sorts of brand extensions are you pursuing for some of your key properties?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>Extending successful non-scripted formats through spin-offs, digital content and other channels is essential for maximizing their value and keeping audiences engaged. The specific approach depends on the format, but the key is to find creative ways to build on the existing brand and explore new angles.<\/p>\n<p><em>Married at First Sight<\/em>\u00a0is a good example of a non-scripted format that continues to go from strength to strength as a brand and is a channel-defining property for many platforms. It has now been produced locally in over 30 territories, while the tapes of the various versions have sold to over 100 territories. Numerous\u00a0<em>Married at First Sight<\/em>\u00a0spin-offs have been created, including two this year:\u00a0<em>Married at Second Sight<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Married at First Sight: The Last Resort.\u00a0<\/em>To maximize its value, broadcasters routinely schedule the local productions, acquired tapes and spin-offs across all their platforms. And some, like Nine in Australia, have created\u00a0<em>Married at First Sight<\/em>\u00a0FAST channels, while Samsung in Germany has an AVOD channel dedicated to the brand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What\u2019s your approach to franchise management and ensuring properties can continue to deliver?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>Successfully managing and maintaining a non-scripted format requires a delicate balance between preserving the core integrity of the format and allowing for innovation and adaptation. Fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing between partners, building a digital ecosystem and providing local producers with the flexibility to adapt the content culturally are all crucial for ensuring the long-term success of the format.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>How do you see AI impacting the entertainment formats business in the year ahead?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>AI is poised to transform the non-scripted formats business by streamlining the production processes, enhancing personalization and providing valuable data-driven insights. For example, at our sister company Redseven Entertainment, AI is regularly integrated into the production process. It starts with the format development and conceptualization in terms of assisting with brainstorming ideas and preparing pitches, and, if appropriate, can be integrated into the production. A good example is Redseven\u2019s medical quiz show,\u00a0<em>Doc Caros K\u00f6rperkenner<\/em>, which aired on Vox in Germany. All the locations and backgrounds were created with the help of AI, and the host was depicted as presenting from inside the human body! However, the human element of production, particularly creativity and emotional storytelling, remains essential. The key is to leverage AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replace them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What\u2019s your approach to finding new format concepts?<br \/>\n<strong>SCHULZE:\u00a0<\/strong>Creating and owning our own IP and building brands is becoming increasingly important for us as a business. We work closely with our sister production companies who are known for their bold and fresh ideas and our channels, which also provide a stream of new and exciting content. And, of course, we are always on the lookout for strong, must-have third-party content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The senior VP of global sales at Seven.One Studios International on the trends reshaping the entertainment formats space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":15442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,69],"tags":[3926,4567],"class_list":["post-15441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-interviews","category-top-stories","tag-seven-one-studios-international","tag-tobias-schulze","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Seven.One\u2019s Tobias Schulze Talks Format Trends - TVFORMATS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seven.One\u2019s Tobias Schulze Talks Format Trends - TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The senior VP of global sales at Seven.One Studios International on the trends reshaping the entertainment formats space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-27T13:42:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-28T13:48:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/10\/Tobias-Schulze_Seven.One-Studios-International.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"427\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mansha Daswani\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mansha Daswani\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/\",\"name\":\"Seven.One\u2019s Tobias Schulze Talks Format Trends - TVFORMATS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-27T13:42:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-28T13:48:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#\/schema\/person\/83da304c8bad8bfdb3edd7eb47cfe5ad\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/seven-ones-tobias-schulze-talks-format-trends\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Seven.One\u2019s Tobias Schulze Talks Format Trends\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/\",\"name\":\"TVFORMATS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#\/schema\/person\/83da304c8bad8bfdb3edd7eb47cfe5ad\",\"name\":\"Mansha Daswani\",\"description\":\"Mansha Daswani is the editor-in-chief and associate publisher of World Screen. 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