ITV Studios unveils partnerships with Vice, China’s Zhejiang Media at Screenings press breakfast
ITV celebrated its 70th birthday this week with mobile billboards during the London TV Screenings
LONDON TV SCREENINGS: As ITV celebrates its 70th anniversary this week, ITV Studios today unveiled partnerships with Vice Media and China’s Zhejiang Media as part of a raft of announcements at its London TV Screenings press breakfast.
The Chinese deal will see the production and distribution arm of the UK commercial broadcaster co-develop non-scripted IP with Zhejiang for the global market.
Zhejiang Media Group is known for its partnerships with established and emerging talent, and directors.
Further details on the first co-developed project the companies are working on, Go! Fishing! are to be announced in the coming months.
Shen Jian, editor-in-chief at Zhejiang Satellite TV, Zhejiang Media Group, said: “We are definitely seeing an appetite globally for new formats that explore universal themes through different cultures. I am personally very much looking forward to the collaboration which we expect to produce a new co-developed concept to launch in China and internationally in 2025.”
The deal was brokered on behalf of ITV Studios by Augustus Dulgaro exec VP of sales for Asia Pacific and Zoe Tsui, head of content and format sales for Greater China.
The deal with Vice Studios will see ITV Studios become its exclusive global distribution partner. This will see ITV Studios add nearly 2,000 hours of Vice content to its 90,000+ hour catalogue, as well as represent future projects in the Vice Studios’ pipeline.
The deal includes the Dark Side of the Ring franchise, United Gangs of America and Vice on HBO. ITV Studios’ recently launched label Zoo 55 will be instrumental in exploiting Vice’s catalogue and brands in both the digital space and FAST channels across social media as well as connected TV platforms.
The partnership also includes future Vice Studios produced content, including new scripted series from Vice’s UK production hub, producer of Gangs of London series on Sky.
Jamie Hall, co-president of Vice Studios, said: “We have been looking for a distribution partner that matches our creative ambition to work with us across our diverse and dynamic slate. With their flexible, creative deal-making, digital first thinking and scale, the exceptional team at ITV Studios led by Ruth Berry, will ensure our programmes gain greater global exposure.”
Elsewhere, ITV Studios has secured South African commissions for its formats Side Hustlers and Double the Money with Primedia.
Side Hustlers was originally developed by Hello Sunshine
Side Hustlers, originally developed by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, follows entrepreneurs as they transform their passion projects into full-fledged businesses. The show aired on The Roku Channel in the US and has been commissioned for a second season. South Africa will be the first territory to produce a local adaptation of this format.
Double the Money, a UK-originated format, pits couples against the clock to double their starting funds through strategic and high-pressure challenges. It secured its first international commission outside the UK in Denmark for Warner Discovery’s Max.
Dating format My Mum, Your Dad is heading to Belgium with RTL. Belgium is the 11th territory after Brazil, Poland and French Canada that were announced last year.
Following the success of I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl on the BBC Three, Videoland in the Netherlands recorded its own I Kissed a Girl in South Africa last month to air in spring. Norway is set to introduce I Kissed a Boy soon.
ITV Studios announced a slew of sales for BBC drama Ludwig today
Lastly, ITV Studios also announced a swath of global sales for BBC detective drama Ludwig. The show was produced by Big Talk Studios, part of ITV Studios, in association with That Mitchell And Webb Company and commissioned for a second season.
Seasons one and two of Ludwig are a BritBox coproduction for the US and Canada where season one will premiere on March 20. Both seasons have also been snapped up by ZDF in Germany which comes on board as a new coproduction partner. Telequebec for French Canada, Telefónica in Spain, Warner Bros Discovery’s free-to-air channel Giallo in Italy, SVT Sweden, DR Denmark, YLE Finland, NRK Norway, RUV Iceland and BBC Poland have also acquired two seasons.
Season one has been acquired by NPO Netherlands, VRT Belgium, Prima Group in the Czech Republic, Telia Lithuania and Telia Estonia, RTL Hungary and Pickbox in Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as Zoomer Media in a second window deal for English-speaking Canada.
In the Asia Pacific region, Ludwig has found a home on Seven Network in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, Pumpkin in China, Now TV in Hong Kong, BBC India, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) in Japan. Meanwhile BBC First has taken the show in a panregional deal for Africa.
