Endemol signs deals with Viasat ahead of MipTV

MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor Endemol has closed multiple deals with Viasat across Central and Eastern Europe, ahead of the television trade event MipTV 2012.

The broadcaster has signed a two season deal for Big Brother in Bulgaria to air on the Nova channel. Big Brother has proven to be ratings hit, with its 2010 kick-off show more than doubling Nova TV?s average share in the target demo; scoring a 38.4 per cent share and almost 500.000 viewers. This will be the sixth season to launch in Bulgaria.

The game show created by Endemol UK, ‘The Money Drop‘, has been picked up for 24 new episodes to run as two series in Bulgaria, also for the Nova channel. The format has been commissioned for a second series in Estonia with a 12 episode run to air on Viasat?s TV3.

Following ‘The Money Drop?s ongoing success across the CIS, Viasat has invested in a regional production hub located in Estonia. This will be the production home of local versions of the show to air in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and now Bulgaria.

‘The Money Drop‘ has now been sold to 15 CIS territories with 26 series airing in the region. In addition to the latest deals with Viasat, other recent commissions include returning series in Poland, Albania, Russia, Kazakstan.

Endemol has also closed a second series deal with Viasat for 16 new episodes of My Kitchen Rules in Lithuania on TV3. The show has been a success for the channel in 2011 with audience shares going up as high as 28.1 per cent in the key demo 15-49, which was 8 per cent higher than TV3?s
average.

Endemol CEO Central, Eastern European operations Marina Williams said, "These latest deals are further testament to the popularity of Endemol?s entertainment formats in the CIS. Furthermore, The Money Drop production hub will allow us to deliver the highest production value to Viasat?s viewers across the region. Closing these deals now is great timing as we prepare for MipTV 2012."