Mexican TOTP format deal for BBC

A Mexican network has picked up the format to the BBC's long-running music show Top of the Pops – the first time the format has ever been sold into Latin America.

After a deal with BBC Worldwide, Televisa will air a version of the 38-year-old weekly chart countdown show, featuring a mixture of UK, US and homegrown stars. It will be based around the US Billboard charts, and filmed in Los Angeles.

{Music shows will be the next big thing in the Latin American market,{ predicted BBC Worldwide Americas' Jose Sanchez, in an interview for C21's upcoming May issue.

Alongside kids' and factual, music shows like TOTP will be headlining BBCWW's LA Screenings slate this year. {We know its going to be a challenge but we've had some good feedback so far this year,{ added Sanchez.

The Mexican sales of TOTP follows a pilot pick-up for a US version of the format last September by The WB network. The hour-long pilot was coproduced by the BBC alongside US outfit Andrew Solt Productions.

The TOTP format has so far been re-versioned in various territories like Germany, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, France, Thailand and India. Each features local acts plus footage of international artists, which is shared by the various local versions.

The popularity of the Germany version on RTL has lead to a 51:49 joint-venture between the show’s producer Me Myself & Eye and BBC Worldwide, called Me Myself & Someone Else, to exploit the TOTP franchise across all media.