Red Arrow, Nippon link on formats

MIPCOM: Japan’s Nippon TV, the company behind hit fact ent format Dragons’ Den, has formed a format co-development partnership with Red Arrow Entertainment.

German cop drama Der Letzte Bulle (The Last Cop)

The alliance with ProSiebenSat.1 Media’s global production and distribution arm will work on entertainment and reality formats for the international market, with its first project due to be announced shortly.

The move builds on previous format deals between the two companies, among them a German adaptation of Masquerade for ProSiebenSat.1, and a Japanese remake of German cop drama Der Letzte Bulle (The Last Cop), which originally aired on Sat.1.

Yukiko Kimishima, divisional president of Nippon TV, said his company stood to benefit from Red Arrow’s expertise in global format development, and the partnership would open up “new opportunities in all corners of the world.”

Red Arrow’s chief creative officer Michael Schmidt called Nippon TV “an entertainment powerhouse run by a team of incredibly dedicated and creative people.”

Red Arrow Entertainment Group includes 13 production companies in seven countries, global distributor Red Arrow International and MCN Collective Digital Studio (Los Angeles). Its creative partnerships and joint ventures include STV Productions and The Imaginarium Studios in the UK, Sync Media in Dubai, and United Artists Media Group (Mark Burnett/Hearst UK).