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Formats Lab

A channel dedicated to the latest development news, comment and analysis of the shows, companies and broadcasters defining the formats sector worldwide.

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LATEST IN THIS CHANNEL

AI 'reality' takes to the stage

BBC's Patel-Knight hunts late evening comedy entertainment

Hansh sharpens its digital ambitions

FAST's future: turning challenges into opportunities

This year's Global Entertainment Formats Pitch nominees

Consolidation is key if UK wants to bring back investors

C4's Grizzelle: Drop linear approach to succeed on digital

The one where we realised we all grew up

Nigeria's EbonyLife ON Plus eyes UK creators

Studio Lambert sets its eyes on scripted

Banjo Formats plans to turn the 'fearless Nordic spirit' into global hits

TBS seeks global expansion with coproduction push

Atresmedia seeks its next primetime entertainment hit

How to turn a subreddit into a format

Better to own 50% of a format on air than 100% of dozens sitting in your Dropbox

How Norway ticked the right format boxes

Seven Network accelerates digital fortunes with FAST focus and sports

The rising tide of eco formats

The post-Mipcom debrief: I’ll message you!

Gurin for Gold

Funny business: Comedy takes centre stage as gameshows get a reboot

Meet the indies – who said merge?

How indies are opening the door into Formatland

21 shows worth catching in Cannes

Unico Play brings Kazakh stories to light on SVoD

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt7

Can Cannes change?

Canada sees light at the end of the tunnel amid global scripted slump

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt6

Mega-mergers and commissioning freezes threaten South Korea’s boom era

TV2 Denmark calls for multigenerational entertainment

Stephen Lambert on how to break the format glass ceiling

Afroland TV sets out its global ambitions

Irish producers hope to find their Hollywood ending by going D2C

Stop asking who's attached, start asking what's possible

Content Canada takeaways: AI torpedo locks on to the hull of US coproduction

Funding crisis 'putting SABC's mission in peril'

Formatland 101: A very British explanation of our international industry

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt5

African formats set to establish new TV trade routes

Sky outlines its content needs with ‘next Brassic’ top of the list

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt4

Adolescence row, snarky channel heads, and NBCU’s big UK formats bet – ...

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt3

Hatching innovative business models with Nest

Is cosy crime building a case for its own demise?

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt2

US unscripted check-in: Spin-offs, 'for sale' signs and a sector in limbo

Twenty years later: How YouTube went from TV parasite to partner – pt1

Pig & Horse grazes YouTube, Instagram, TikTok as format proving grounds

Golden geese or white elephants: Does the UK need more studio space? Pt2

Golden geese or white elephants: Does the UK need more studio space? Pt1

Alberta looks to move mountains as local production grows

Plimsoll wades into shark-infested formats

TVO wants kids' animation and unscripted with an educational edge

Insight Productions gears up for new era under Blue Ant Media

Poland gears up for its first influencer-led linear TV channel

Live long and prosper in Formatland

Sunny Side: Four key takeaways from La Rochelle

Relative Secrets behind Acorn TV's first unscripted commission

Amazon streamers look to cover all bases in India

Top Gunnar: Producers on edge as WBD casts cablenets adrift

Can traditional TV get down with the Gen Z-ers?

Pascal Dalton on going it alone with Shimmer Media

Netflix CEE seeks the next wave of hyper-local content

My Latin love affair with Conecta

IP takes centre stage in Europe's evolving TV market

Unscripted surge: What's powering Lat Am's genre of the moment?

Pro Plus puts cultural kinship ahead of US acquisitions

Why Channel 4’s in-house move isn’t a death knell for indies

Is Canadian TV making a comeback after one of its ugliest years?

The five big formats takeaways from Content Warsaw

Tudum LA event marks new era in Netflix's live strategy

CEE formats head for reboot camp

UFA's Emese Ács in search of the big idea

Superhosts, real-life and diversity mark the future of formats

Building bridges between audiovisual and financial worlds

Zoo 55 looks to become the big beast of digital distribution

What we learnt from Banijay's Capital Markets Day

Dori Media eyes Lat Am as the first stop for new formats

Hollywood: City of broken dreams or land of new opportunities?

Can Lat Am content take pole position?

Blowing up the 'delusional' unscripted TV model

Trump's tariffs – part 3

Trump's tariffs – part 2

The PUSH and pull of Paris in the spring

Floresta leads the charge for unscripted incentives in Brazil

French unscripted formats PUSH the envelope

Dreamspark chief calls for CNC to embrace unscripted formats

How Mediawan is taking French formats global

Life advice for Formatland

Tower Peak Partners sees opportunities in IP and production

Blessed are the dealmakers in the new content business

RTL+ vs Joyn: the battle of the boasts

Canal 4 and Teleamazonas go the distance to make formats cost-effective

Content is still queen for Catalyst's Julie Bristow

Fremantle's Briongos on the benefits of producer-network collaboration

'Believe in yourselves' ESB's Scheuermann tells Lat Am format creatives

ITVS eyes US acquisition opportunities as copros stall

David Flynn takes Plegazoid to France with Banijay partnership

NEWS

BBC orders first full season of Celebrity Apprentice

Korea’s SBS, Studio Dragon remake Japanese medical drama from TV Asahi

Ninja Warrior producer ATS hires Inés Serrano as part of original formats push

ITV launches Green Room pilot to support freelancers between roles

Meter, TV4 in harmony for Clash of the Choirs reboot

David Ellison condemns Netflix’s WBD deal as ‘blatant attempt to eliminate’ HBO Max

Pact appoints Nigel Warner as successor to outgoing CEO John McVay

AI ‘reality’ takes to the stage

Sky Arts, RTÉ and TG4 turn to Big Mountain Productions for music content

Japanese TV veteran Tatsuhiko Inoue named president of broadcaster NHK

Channel 4 appoints Sky’s Priya Dogra as chief executive

BBC’s Patel-Knight hunts late evening comedy entertainment

Matty Matheson’s culinary YouTube series Just a Dash moves to Netflix

Chris Grant’s Osmosis Global forms management arm led by Ra Kumar

Ted Sarandos confident in Netflix-WBD deal despite hostile bid by Paramount

Primitives promotes Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne to MD as Jan Huyse steps down

Hansh sharpens its digital ambitions

Paramount tries to derail Netflix’s WBD deal with $108bn cash offer direct to shareholders

Turkish drama shaken by regulator’s ruling to wind down distributor MADD

ABC commissions return season of Portrait Artist of the Year

Laura Marks elevated to head of digital commissioning at UK’s Channel 4

UK’s AiMation claims ‘world first’ with 100% AI reality show on YouTube

Dutch streamer Videoland to have a go at MBC’s Bloody Game

Trump says Netflix-WBD deal ‘could be a problem’ but praises Ted Sarandos

Netflix enters definitive agreement to buy WBD’s streaming, studio assets for $82.7bn

Your complete round-up of coverage from Content London 2025

Unai Iparragirre to lead programming at Mediaset España after exiting EITB

Middlechild Productions launches digital sister company Wildchild Studios

Brazil’s TV Gazeta hires Boxfish’s Eduardo Gaspar to boost original format creation

Netflix enters exclusive negotiations to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s studio/streaming assets

Let’s Make a Deal renewed by TTV in Poland

Versant execs Cori Abraham, Blake Levin set out content stall for E!, USA, Oxygen

NZ’s Spada agitates for streamer levies in wake of landmark Oz regulation win

Hat Trick hands AI tools to comedians as it eyes ‘collapsed’ development cycle

Risk aversion leading to copycat commissioning – Banijay’s Patrick Holland

Broadcasters should be ‘truthful, not neutral’ on climate change, Climate Consensus finds

UKTV’s Nightingale calls for motoring series to complement Bangers & Cash

BBC seeks UK comedy entertainment format for iPlayer and BBC Two

NRK in Norway takes ITV Studios’ Nobody’s Fool

Podcasting now on a par with TV and streaming, claims Goalhanger co-founder Jack Davenport

Tresor, Cowshed Collective agree digital-first formats deal at Content London

Content London speakers advise on how best to work with YouTube

AI will drive new wave of consolidation post-WBD takeover, warns Zucker

The biggest content successes come from taking risks, says Disney’s Eric Schrier

It’s a myth that young people aren’t interested in TV, says TikTok exec

Streamers pump $272m into Aussie content while FTA networks drop investment, ACMA reports

Australia takes soft approach to AI regulation as media union voices concerns

Chris Packham urges UK broadcasters to raise climate alarm with national briefing

Disney’s Jilly Pearce seeks younger-skewing dating formats for Hulu

Studio Ramsay looking to next generation of creators as it moves beyond food shows

BBC Studios Entertainment hires Fernando de Jesus to head development label

Poznick shines light on Barbara Broccoli talks that led to 007: Road to a Million

New IP still faces uphill battle despite Traitors’ success says Workerbee’s Murray

Indies shouldn’t view Banijay, All3 as ‘threat’ in new ‘age of collaboration,’ says Patrick Holland

FAST’s future: turning challenges into opportunities

Learn from Skibidi Toilet to get greenlight in age of AI, recommends Adam Cunningham

Banged Up locks down Polish version on Canal+

FAST growth remains robust despite the rise of YouTube and microdramas

Belgium’s VRT commissions local version of All3Media International’s Sort Your Life Out

New North American, Australian and European adaptations of Married at First Sight in the works

Blue Ant renews natural history partnership with Sky

Alliance formed to set global quality and ethics standards for microdramas

Fremantle merges Denmark’s Blu and Strong Production, Sune Roland departs

This year’s Global Entertainment Formats Pitch nominees

Disabled people remain under-represented across UK broadcasting workforce, Ofcom finds

Ofcom: ‘Early signs’ BBC engagement with younger audiences is improving

BBC Studios’ South African prodco Rapid Blue names joint leaders

BBC to boost YouTube use and try out vertical dramas, says CCO Kate Phillips

Paramount+ partners with Arsenal football club on co-branded content

Paramount+ to carry reality adaptation Canada Shore in US, UK, Australia

Consolidation is key if UK wants to bring back investors

Landmark bill establishes local content obligations on streamers in Australia

Martín Iraola named president of Disney Lat Am as company reorganises regional operation

YouTube TV and TelevisaUnivision end blackout with new carriage deal

Tern TV and Tuesday’s Child among the indies selected for SuperSizing Entertainment Formats programme

ACMA orders sale of radio licences to allow SCA, Seven West Media merger

Bell Media’s Crave adds 10,000 hours of content as part of growth drive

Blue Ant Media to acquire Thunderbird Entertainment in $63m deal

WBD wants potential buyers to increase offers in second round of M&A bids, sets Dec 1 deadline

London TV Screenings unveils founding distributor schedule for 2026 event

Prime Video visits Villa of Broken Hearts in Danish adaptation of French format

C4 boards the Nordic Train at Christmas, branded series with Chris Ramsey

SBS veteran programming head Peter Andrews resigns after 12 years

Barry Poznick to step down as GM of unscripted at Amazon MGM Studios

Atresmedia readies Spanish adaptation of Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service from Fox

Media City Qatar film committee partners with Parrot Analytics

NZ On Air supports more new commissions and increases kids’ investment in latest funding round

Fremantle adapts Dori’s format Power Couple

C4’s Grizzelle: Drop linear approach to succeed on digital

CJ ENM alum Hayoung Rhee joins South Korean format specialist Something Special as VP, head of sales

Sales exec Emma Knight leaves TV business after 20 years

Christoph Schneider brings down curtain on a decade with Amazon’s Prime Video in Germany

The one where we realised we all grew up

Paramount+ wins battle for UK Champions League rights with $1bn-plus bid

Global streamers fear doubling of taxation in Brazil if bill passes Senate

Lat Am SVoD households set to grow 25% over next five years, Ampere reveals

The Sidemen’s Schwarzenberger urges BBC to make iPlayer an SVoD service

Twofour travels with Awkwafina to uncover her culinary heritage for Apple TV

Sharon and Ozzy doc lands at ABC, TV2, VRT, yesTV and Bell Media

Canada’s Bell Media axes 40 positions as part of wider cuts at parent BCE

Quebecor ups Luana Ann Church to development, acquisitions, sales role

Edinburgh TV Festival set to relocate from 2027

Most UK broadcasters ‘overdependent’ on larger producers as small indies suffer

Seventy7 Ventures and Zig Zag create business to finance film, TV, sports entertainment

Rewind Networks’ Hits Now channel to make Indonesian debut on MyRepublic

Nigeria’s EbonyLife ON Plus eyes UK creators

Fox strikes first-look pact with former Topic Studios president Maria Zuckerman

Galloway Capital invests in ‘deeply undervalued’ player in fast-growing podcast space

Asian-focused lifestyle company JoySauce and Cineverse launch JoySauce Network

Goalhanger continues push into video podcasts on YouTube with science-themed show

Industry must recognise the value of creators if it wants to connect with Gen Z, says YouTube

Keller/Noll sink teeth into family-friendly gameshow based on Shark Bite game

AMC Networks launches reality content streamer via Prime Video in the US

UK TV exports break £2bn barrier despite ongoing industry challenges

Sphere Media, Zone 3 merger set to shake up Canadian production scene

RTL Group lowers full-year outlook following continued French, German ad market weakness

Adolescence to receive the Golden Rose as 2025 Rose d’Or finalists announced

Sky, Off the Kerb bring the laughs with stand-up specials

E.W. Scripps vows to ‘protect’ itself from takeover bid by ‘opportunistic’ Sinclair

Talpa partners DPG on remake of Sony dance format for Netherlands, Belgium

PBS Distribution alum Sabrina Hall Aguirre to lead Latin American sales at Fox Entertainment Global

Studio Lambert sets its eyes on scripted

Banijay’s Electric Robin partners with presenter, producer Aidy Smith

BBC Studios Nordic Production appoints senior execs in Denmark, Norway

5 heads to Nashville with Jane McDonald

Bravo moves back in with interior designer and reality TV star Jeff Lewis

Paramount offloads Chilevisión to Tomás Yankelevich-led investor group

Saudi sovereign wealth fund linked to WBD offer as bidding set to kick off

A Smith & Co president Jenny Daly to step down after six months in role

Pig & Horse Productions ready to Audit My Relationship with new reality format

Glance report shows live women’s competitions are driving sports viewing

BBC Studios to merge ANZ media and streaming unit with Asia business

A+E Global Media takes on international distribution of long-running unscripted show Cops

Banjo Formats plans to turn the ‘fearless Nordic spirit’ into global hits

Creative team for Sky’s SNL UK named, James Longman to be lead producer

Krempelwood brings ex-Flicker exec Nick Underhill as business development director

Australian watchdog ACCC greenlights Southern Cross, Seven West merger

WBD alum Clément Schwebig to take over from Thomas Rabe as RTL CEO

Doc special Full Access Drag joins dark comedy Sisters on OutTV slate

Recce video search app launched in bid to solve ‘viewer decision fatigue’

Older audiences powering film and TV viewing on YouTube reveals Ampere

Canada’s KO Distribution hires Fred Joubaud as senior sales agent

Banijay UK’s Shine TV hires Emma Young as permanent senior exec producer

Love Island: Beyond the Villa returning to Peacock for S2

Portugal’s RTP dials up Emergency Call

Nine Network to axe 50 positions at new streaming and broadcast arm

Sony, CBS resolve Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune legal spat with distribution deal

Drive Research shows 82% of YouTube TV subs prepared to ditch monthly plans if Disney blackout continues

Australia’s Jaggi Entertainment taps Marielle Zuccarelli as president of int’l sales in LA

TBS seeks global expansion with coproduction push

NZ boosts screen rebate incentives to avoid ‘missing out’ on global productions

Screen Australia appoints Gillian Moody-Ardler as new head of First Nations content

WBD revenue falls 6% and profits rise 2% in Q3 as Comcast eyes bid

Comcast’s Sky in early talks to acquire ITV broadcast business for $2.1bn

‘Milestone’ moment in MENA streaming sector as StarzPlay absorbs ADtv

Hard-up US viewers cutting other household expenses to keep streamer subs, Bango report finds

Samsung TV Plus sets FAST channels for America’s Funniest Homes Videos, Kardashians

Research finds S4C contributes more than £150m to Welsh economy

ITV revenue grows in first nine months of 2025, moves some content into 2026 to cut costs

EbonyLife ON Plus relaunches to put ‘African stories back in African hands’

Traditional TV viewing in Sweden falls to less than a third of overall watch time

Endemol Shine India hires Shivani Shankar as VP and head of unscripted

Atresmedia seeks its next primetime entertainment hit

Australia’s ABC reboots competitive travel series Race Around the World

Former Spotify exec Karin Bäckmark to head Sweden’s Brand New Television

Turkey’s Sera Film hoping to have The Key to travelling gameshow format

Netflix alum Justin Rutsky named SVP content acquisition and licensing at Paramount

Malaysia’s Astro limbers up for youth physical reality competition show

Australian government to impose content quotas on streaming services

South Korea’s CJ ENM pairs with Taiwanese trio to launch $30m content fund

Corus plans $780m debt restructure giving lenders control of company

Global TV and video market ‘to reach $1tn by 2030’ as online video surges

How to turn a subreddit into a format

Cowboy Channel saddles up with YouTube series fronted by Sierra Spratt

Foxtel adds former minister Stephen Conroy and media investor Peter O’Connell to board

Julita Brutus takes over as MD of Fremantle Poland as Radzymiński steps down

ABC, FX, Nat Geo, ESPN go dark on YouTube TV as Google and Disney face off

Empire star Taraji P Henson agrees first-look pact with Fox Entertainment Studios

Matt Thunell sets Paramount Television Studios’ leadership team amid sweeping cuts

Japan’s TBS seeking new copro partnerships after opening LA, Seoul outposts

Curio Pictures, AFTRS and Sony Pictures TV launch internship programme

NRK orders festive scripted comedy inspired by celeb-fronted reality shows

Prime Video UK to launch 30 shows from South Korea’s CJ ENM by year-end

Alphabet and Amazon move to reduce workforces as AI focus sharpens

US consolidation will mean long UK commissioning delays, warns Curve’s Lewis

Netflix, Eureka to recreate Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory down under for Golden Ticket format

Disney finalises stake in sports streamer Fubo before Hulu + Live TV merger

Two top Paramount Canada execs exiting as cuts hit Toronto office

News Corp ‘visionary’ Siobhan McKenna steps down as chief of broadcasting

Digital distribution specialist Little Dot Studios becomes B Corp certified

Studio TCT aims to bring ‘cinematic’ sports docs to YouTube following investment round

Pokeepsie Films and EO Contents Group seal Spanish, South Korean coproduction alliance

S4C, TG4 collaborate on gameshow format Y Deis

Nippon TV eyes growth in North America as part of $650m annual sales target by 2033

John Malone stepping down as chairman at Liberty Global

Disney completes deal to merge Hulu + Live TV with sports streamer Fubo

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