{"id":15572,"date":"2026-01-26T10:22:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/fremantles-danny-rowlands-on-satisfying-buyers-needs\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T14:23:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:23:01","slug":"fremantles-danny-rowlands-on-satisfying-buyers-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/fremantles-danny-rowlands-on-satisfying-buyers-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Fremantle\u2019s Danny Rowlands on Satisfying Buyers\u2019 Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fremantle has been offering channels and platforms successful formats for more than two decades\u2014among them Idols<\/em>,\u00a0Got Talent<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0The X<\/em>\u00a0Factor<\/em>. Alongside these global hits are many other genres. Competition, game and quiz shows remain in demand due to their adaptability and scalability. Recently, as Danny Rowlands, the senior VP of global entertainment, explains, Fremantle has also been tapping into creator-led, social-first projects to find shows that connect to the current culture.<\/p>\n

TV FORMATS:<\/strong> What led to the partnership with Viral Nation to develop creator-led, social-first formats? What projects are in development, and why is it important to have content on YouTube and social platforms?
\nROWLANDS:<\/strong>\u00a0Our partnership with Viral Nation came from a very clear shift in where audiences spend their time and how new IP is being born. Social platforms have become the destination for entertainment for most households, and it\u2019s a perfect opportunity for\u00a0Fremantle\u00a0to focus on talent development.\u00a0Working with creative partners and strong talent has always been an important part of what we do at Fremantle, and this audience shift has allowed us to create innovative pathways for entertainment. We\u2019ve got several more creator-led, social-first projects in development across entertainment and factual, designed specifically for platforms like YouTube.<\/p>\n

Partnering with Viral Nation gives us that direct access to creators, communities and cultural insight at speed, which complements Fremantle\u2019s ability to develop and scale formats globally. It\u2019s a relationship that can support and grow each other\u2019s content opportunities at scale.\u00a0We announced last year an exciting format in development,\u00a0Model Creator<\/em>, a collaboration between Beach House Pictures (a Fremantle company), Viral Nation and Ford Models. We felt this was a real opportunity to deliver a fresh take on what a modelling format could look like for a more digital-native audience.\u00a0The focus is on ideas that feel native and authentic to those platforms but have the potential to grow\u2014whether that\u2019s into bigger digital franchises or longer-form TV and streaming formats.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important for us to be on YouTube and social because that\u2019s where the global audience is heading at a rapid rate. Not just the younger audiences. It\u2019s a real growth opportunity for entertainment, and we want to be leading the conversations and not just part of it. These partnerships, like the Viral Nation one, allow us to do that in an authentic way.<\/p>\n

TV FORMATS:<\/strong>\u00a0In general, how is the market for non-scripted formats, given buyers\u2019 risk aversion and budget concerns?
\nROWLANDS:<\/strong>\u00a0Everyone needs content more than ever in order to retain and build audiences, so the right format ideas will always be appealing to buyers because they offer so much versatility. We\u2019ve seen proven success in the last year with the continued growth of our formats,\u00a0whether it is the funny and daring\u00a0Freeze<\/em>, which has seen\u00a0multiple series in Portugal, Spain, and is currently in production in Italy and the Middle East, or the heartwarming series\u00a0The Piano<\/em>\u00a0which continues to add new territories like Australia.<\/p>\n

Budgets are tighter and commissioners are cautious, but what has always been proven is that good ideas that tap into culture will cut through and find an audience.<\/p>\n

TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>What type of reality competition shows are catching the attention of buyers?
\nROWLANDS:<\/strong>\u00a0Reality is always on the shopping list for most broadcasters and those formats that feel fresh and have a strong hook will always be part of the conversation. Formats that have these universal themes\u00a0can be scaled up and down depending on budget.<\/p>\n

Reality formats need to be distinctive and\u00a0authentic,\u00a0with a strong cast. We then see the potential to produce\u00a0a tentpole format for broadcasters on streaming, linear and VOD. They give you the opportunity to create something that attracts an audience and holds them on a platform and that is what the broadcasters are crying out for in this new content landscape.\u00a0The Lost Ones<\/em>\u00a0is an\u00a0example of a reality adventure format. This was originally broadcast by TV2 in Denmark and\u00a0just had its second commission in Canada. What\u2019s interesting about this format is that it features\u00a0well-known personalities and content creators known to a TikTok audience.<\/p>\n

TV FORMATS:\u00a0<\/strong>How are quiz and game shows satisfying buyers\u2019 needs?
\nROWLANDS:\u00a0<\/strong>Quiz and game shows are in demand right now globally, and are ultimately\u00a0resilient. As the market continues to be risk averse, quiz and game shows offer cost-effective, repeatable formats that can offer versatility to any broadcaster\u2019s schedule. \u00a0We\u2019re also seeing Gameshows and quizzes evolving beyond trivia\u2014becoming psychological, strategic, and emotionally charged.<\/p>\n

Quiz and game shows have been the mainstay of schedules for decades as they deliver that comfort and familiarity to audiences, particularly in times when the world outside is so uncertain.<\/p>\n

Everyone is looking for escapism, and these formats offer this in a simple and familiar way that really appeals to audiences, so it makes sense that broadcasters are looking for innovative ways to deliver this in this space.
\nWe\u2019ve had an exciting new format in development that we\u2019ll be talking more about soon –\u00a0adapting\u00a0the best-selling music party game\u00a0Hitster<\/em>\u00a0into the game show space, which we believe will be an impactful new voice in the genre.<\/p>\n

TV FORMATS:<\/strong>\u00a0What factors contribute to the ongoing popularity of classic game shows like\u00a0Password<\/em>,\u00a0Family Feud<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0The Price is Right<\/em>?
\nROWLANDS:<\/strong>\u00a0These popular shows have a very simple core which can be evolved over time which keeps them relevant without ever losing the heart of these formats. They are also just fun, which we are all in need of at this time.\u00a0We know from the\u00a0record-breaking success of\u00a0The Price Is Right<\/em>, the world’s longest-running gameshow in TV history, which turns 70 this year, that nostalgia, simplicity and fun\u00a0play-along are so important for the audience to feel familiarity and comfort. This year sees a number of big anniversaries for Fremantle formats\u2014we\u2019re marking 65 years of\u00a0Password<\/em>\u00a0and 50 years of\u00a0Family Feud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The senior VP of global entertainment on the competition, game, quiz and creator-led shows meeting buyers\u2019 demands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":289,"featured_media":15573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,69],"tags":[4542,1482],"class_list":["post-15572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-interviews","category-top-stories","tag-danny-rowlands","tag-fremantle","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nFremantle\u2019s Danny Rowlands on Satisfying Buyers\u2019 Needs - 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\/fremantles-danny-rowlands-on-satisfying-buyers-needs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fremantle\u2019s Danny Rowlands on Satisfying Buyers\u2019 Needs - 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