Media Ranch partners Something Special, FormatEast in Asian format deals

Quebec-based distributor Media Ranch has agreed multiple format deals with companies in Asia including South Korea’s Something Special and SBS subsidiary FormatEast.

Korea’s Something Special, founded and run by Jin Woo Hwang and InSoon Kim, has signed up to shop Media Ranch’s Don’t Laugh in Asia.

The move follows the pair’s partnership on Watch!, which was developed by Media Ranch and is represented in Asia by Something Special.

Meanwhile, Media Ranch and Tim Crescenti’s US-based Small World IFT have partnered to distribute TV Asahi’s format Happily Ever Apart. Media Ranch has optioned the format to US prodco Figure 8 Films.

Finally, Red Arrow-owned Blue Productions has optioned Boundary, created by MiYeon Kim, the exec behind South Korean reality/gameshow Running Man. Meanwhile, 1/17 has optioned Honey in the Box in the US and Fair-Play Group has picked it up for French-speaking Canada.

Sophie Ferron, president and founder of Media Ranch, said: “Today marks the next step in Media Ranch expanding its content scope with not only strong partnerships, but with meaningful ones that fit into our future. Expanding our Asian footprint through our distribution and co-development venture with Something Special and Sweet Pumpkin complements that journey.

“Additionally, our distribution partnerships with FormatEast in Korea, a Japanese format representation with Small World and our amazing collaborations with 44 Blue, 1/17, Fair-Play Group and Figure 8 Films, we realize the more we reach across borders, the more we find successful friendships to build outstanding formats.”