{"id":6287,"date":"2018-06-18T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2018-06-18T16:28:07","modified_gmt":"2018-06-18T20:28:07","slug":"format-fever-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/format-fever-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Format Fever"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Distributors weigh in about the kinds of formats that are in demand among broadcasters across Europe.<\/em><\/p>\n

As fear of the FAANGs looms in the linear TV community, many broadcasters across Europe are looking to localized entertainment for the type of compelling programming that will set them apart and get audiences to switch off from streaming. Shows that can be tailored to the tastes of viewers in a given country (and make some noise for the channel) are enjoying a rather nice boost across both Western and Eastern Europe, and format distributors are reporting interest in a broad range of genres as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe format business in Central and Eastern Europe continues to grow,\u201d says Bo Stehmeier, the senior VP of global sales at Red Arrow Studios International. \u201cThe market is maturing, and there is more appetite for risk. These countries are a bit more experimental and keen to explore different shows, in comparison to those in the West.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Western Europe, Stehmeier continues, \u201cthe pressure in the television ecosystem is very high. The shows that broadcasters do acquire have to hit. So, when you sell a format into Western Europe, it\u2019s about having a proven track record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Armed with megahits such as Dancing with the Stars\u00a0<\/em>and The Great Bake Off<\/em>, BBC Studios is able to tout track records for many of its formats to European buyers. Dancing with the Stars<\/em>, for one, \u201chas stood the test of time,\u201d says Sumi Connock, creative director for formats. \u201cWe signed up three new territories last year and three more this year. Interestingly, Poland has more seasons (21) than anywhere outside of the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show counts recent launches in Spain and in Iceland, where it \u201cquadrupled the slot audience,\u201d according to Connock. \u201cIn Ireland, the broadcaster replaced The Voice\u00a0<\/em>with Dancing with the Stars<\/em>, decisively beating all time-slot competition, more than quadrupling the share of its closest rival and achieving an astonishing 47.2-percent audience share for the season two finale.\u201d<\/p>\n

LOYAL FOLLOWING<\/strong>
\nBake Off<\/em>, too, has seen wide-ranging success in Europe, airing in countries from the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary to France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Denmark. \u201cThe thing aboutBake Off\u00a0<\/em>is that it has a really loyal audience; its performance tends to grow from season to season,\u201d says Connock. \u201cThe series has successfully moved channels within the same territory. It\u2019s been the number one show in the U.K. on three of the five terrestrial channels. We have seen the same in Poland; it started on TLC with two seasons and moved to TVP2,\u201d where it\u2019s now in its fourth season.<\/p>\n

Game shows have also been traveling well across Europe, Connock says. She points to You\u2019re Back in the Room<\/em>, which is in production in Slovakia for TV Mark\u00edza, as a notable success. \u201cWe had it on in Portugal, where the second episode of the season beat the Got Talent\u00a0<\/em>Portugal <\/em>premiere. [The producers also] found a new production model that meant it could record more than one episode a day, so that\u2019s made it a bit more cost-effective without impacting the production values,\u201d and all the more appealing to buyers in the region keeping a close eye on budgets.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Endemol Shine Group found a way to contain costs for its large-scale, prime-time game show The Wall<\/em>, which\u00a0it represents globally and <\/span>has sold across Europe to countries such as France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Romania. \u201cWhen we look at that show and its success in the U.S., we want to take it into all markets, but the format requires a very expensive studio and quite a big investment for the construction of the wall,\u201d says Marina Williams, COO of international operations at Endemol Shine Group. \u201cWe came up with the idea to build a hub in Poland. People were initially skeptical; they were not sure if it would have a high-quality technical team or if they could find enough of a fan base to fill the studio. But this hub has exceeded everybody\u2019s expectations\u2014it\u2019s a phenomenal success.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to The Wall<\/em>, Williams reports strong sales across Europe for the music format Your Face Sounds Familiar<\/em>, which she says has charmed audiences in CEE with its \u201clight comedy\u201d and \u201cnostalgic\u201d qualities. The competition series The Brain<\/em>, which originated in Germany, has been adapted in Poland, Croatia and Serbia, as well as in Russia, where it\u2019s had three seasons. \u201cThe more seasons you produce for this show, the more challenges you design, and every new client can further benefit from that,\u201d Williams says of The Brain<\/em>.<\/p>\n

UNDER CONSTRUCTION<\/strong>
\nFor all3media international, constructed reality has been a top seller across CEE, notably its titles from the Filmpool catalog. RTL in Hungary has commissioned nearly 1,700 episodes of Day & Night<\/em>, and Tako Media continues to produce Families at the Crossroads\u00a0<\/em>and Cases of Doubt\u00a0<\/em>in Poland for Polsat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of success in CEE with our big factual-entertainment formats as well,\u201d says Lucy Roberts, sales manager for formats in EMEA North at all3media international. She highlights Undercover Boss<\/em>, 10 Years Younger <\/em>and Kitchen Nightmares <\/em>in particular.<\/p>\n

In Western Europe, the company has landed solid sales on Studio Lambert\u2019s Be My Guest<\/em>, which has a weekly version in the Netherlands and a daily version in Belgium.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs well as the bigger demand for factual entertainment, I\u2019m seeing an appetite for scripted,\u201d Roberts reports. \u201cTV2 in Hungary will be producing more episodes of South Pacific Pictures\u2019 romantic dramedy Step Dave\u00a0<\/em>this year. Russia and Ukraine are really looking toward scripted format ideas as well\u2014I foresee a lot of potential there.\u201d<\/p>\n

This news bodes well for South Korea\u2019s CJ E&M, which is looking to increase business across Europe with remakes of its scripted hits. The drama Tears of Heaven <\/em>was adapted in Turkey for ATV with much success, and the company is close to finalizing a deal with a production company in Russia for a local treatment of a crime series.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were initially targeting CEE, telenovelas previously gathered a lot of interest,\u201d says Diane Min, senior sales manager. \u201cThese days, now that CJ E&M is growing its library of crime and suspense dramas, these are also garnering interest in the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n

Min says the company is finding a bigger appetite for its scripted formats in Central and Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. \u201cWe are consistently receiving inquiries from CEE buyers about stories with a strong lead character so that if needed, more interesting stories could be built around that character,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Senay Tas, sales director for CEE at Global Agency, has also noticed that channels in the region are increasingly opting to localize scripted series. But overall, she says, the company has seen the most traction in this part of the world with \u201cfeel-good\u201d and \u201ccost-effective\u201d formats.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of good daily strip formats in our catalog and that has become more of a trend in many of the CEE territories,\u201d says Tas. As the economies in countries across Central and Eastern Europe have continued to feel a pinch, having a show that can deliver a high volume and amortize the cost is certainly alluring for buyers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have quite a few really good singing talent shows in our catalog, but the big shiny-floor shows are a bit harder to sell in these territories,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge, and I\u2019m trying my best to make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entertainment behemoths that have been working well in prime time across Europe largely continue to do so, holding onto their slots as broadcasters recommission them season after season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is true that because all the big juggernauts are still working, there is more of a demand for access-prime entertainment in the region, which is probably why game shows are selling so well,\u201d says BBC Studios\u2019 Connock. \u201cYou can record multiple episodes and still have really high production values. There are more slots available for [formats with] those kinds of budgets.\u201d<\/p>\n

EASY TO ACCESS<\/strong>
\nRed Arrow\u2019s Stehmeier agrees that broadcasters in the region are eyeing formats for access prime now more than ever. \u201cIn the olden days, access was like a lead-in slot,\u201d he says. \u201cNow, you have to be fairly punchy before prime. Looking at prime time, you now have to be\u00a0\u00fcber-<\/em>punchy. A show has to be really emotional; it has to grab you and [keep you engaged] for an entire hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company has clinched access-prime slots in the region with My Restaurant Rocks <\/em>and Shop! Cook! Win!<\/em>, for example. In prime time, the social experiment Married at First Sight <\/em>has been a resounding success, and the property-based Buying Blind <\/em>is picking up steam.<\/p>\n

\u201cSocial experiments are one of our strong suits,\u201d Stehmeier says. \u201cOld People\u2019s Home for 4 Year Olds\u00a0<\/em>is really emotional and topical,\u201d which are both valuable propositions for prime time. \u201cIf you\u2019re a broadcaster, not only are you delivering emotionally but you\u2019ve also got something for the journalists to write about to position the channel and the slot. It\u2019s important to help the broadcaster to grow its brand equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

For access prime, Stehmeier says formats that are sponsorship-led or can feature product placement are quite desirable. \u201cIn CEE, the laws around sponsorship and product placement are more relaxed than in the Western European countries,\u201d he notes. \u201cIf you look at the landscape, CEE has smaller countries and smaller television households. Budget is a big factor for the broadcasters. They love the big prime-time shows, but often they are too expensive unless you can [build a hub]. So you do always have the budget factor when you\u2019re selling into CEE.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you sell into Western Europe, if the show is right, the budget is there,\u201d Stehmeier continues. \u201cIt just needs to be proven and tested, and they\u2019ll run with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As budgets in Central and Eastern Europe are generally a bit tighter, it\u2019s particularly challenging to secure a format commission from one of the smaller, more niche channels in the region. \u201cI have been selling style shows, for example, to some niche channels in CEE and they are working well,\u201d says Global Agency\u2019s Tas. \u201cBut we\u2019re mainly focusing on selling our formats to the free-TV channels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the whole, it is still mostly the main free-to-air channels that are commissioning formats in CEE, although there are increasingly discussions about acquiring for secondary channels now,\u201d says all3media international\u2019s Roberts. \u201cIn a few rare cases, there are opportunities online as well. I recently closed my first format deal for AVOD-only in Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russia is cited by many executives, Roberts among them, as being a particularly buoyant market for format sales. \u201cThere are so many channels and production companies, and they are open to a wide variety of genres,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have local versions of 10 Years Younger\u00a0<\/em>and Sexy Beasts\u00a0<\/em>on air, plus two other non-scripted and two scripted projects in the works.\u201d<\/p>\n

RUSSIAN CONNECTION<\/strong>
\n\u201cI have noticed that success of a show in Russia gives an unbelievable boost to the pickup rate of the format elsewhere,\u201d says Endemol Shine\u2019s Williams. She saw it first with Your Face Sounds Familiar<\/em>, then had a similar experience with The Brain<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was difficult to sell The Brain\u00a0<\/em>at first; nobody believed that they could find enough talent, which is the key to casting. After Russia made it, and it was the highest-rated show of the year, everybody started to express interest. The viewers across the region are similar: they love entertainment, they love comedy, and they love a celebration when it comes to television.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams also lists Poland as being a hot market. Following on the success it saw there with a hub for The Wall<\/em>, Endemol Shine is readying one for the Fear Factor\u00a0<\/em>format in the country as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that Poland has proven itself as a hub for game shows, we\u2019re also looking to expand that offer to other markets,\u201d says Williams. \u201cWe are creating hubs for our other shows, even reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Arrow\u2019s Stehmeier is particularly enthused about the future prospects of \u201c\u00fcber-sizing access prime,\u201d especially through the production-hub model, for boosting format sales in the region. \u201cThere\u2019s a real opportunity to go big in access prime through central-hub production mechanisms,\u201d he says, \u201cwhere setup costs can be shared and also be financed by brands or product placements. The time is right to help move prime-time audiences into access\u2014and achieving that would bring a real commercial tear to my eye!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pictured: BBC Studios\u2019 <\/em>Dancing with the Stars on Polsat in Poland.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Distributors weigh in about the kinds of formats that are in demand among broadcasters across Europe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":6289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nFormat Fever - 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\/format-fever-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Format Fever - TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Distributors weigh in about the kinds of formats that are in demand among broadcasters across Europe.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/format-fever-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-18T12:00:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-06-18T20:28:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/06\/Dancing-With-The-Stars-Poland-BBC-Studios-th-618-e1528314239259.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"298\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kristin Brzoznowski\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kristin Brzoznowski\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/format-fever-3\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/format-fever-3\/\",\"name\":\"Format Fever - 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