Core strikes Mandel first-look deal

Core Media, the US co-owner of American Idol, has struck a first-look agreement with Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel and his production company.

Through Alevy Productions, Mandel and partner Mike Marks currently exec-produce TBS hidden-camera series Deal With It.

The former is also the longest serving judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, a role that helped forge his relationship with Core group president Marc Graboff, previously the network’s entertainment boss.

“Over the course of my long-standing relationship with Howie, I have come to appreciate him as possessing that extremely rare combination of being an incredibly talented performer as well as a smart, savvy producer,” said Graboff.

The deal comes as Core continues its expansion, last month appointing Julie Hope as chief operation officer at Halfire Entertainment, the firm’s scripted joint venture set up with former Entertainment One exec Noreen Halpern.

Core rebranded from CKK in 2012 and has since been building on its ownership of Idol coproducer 19 Entertainment by investing in Sharp Entertainment, B17 Entertainment and, most recently, Big Minded in the UK.