'Got Talent' Format Success All Over The World

David Ellender, CEO, Fremantle Media Enterprises (FME), recently announced a raft of significant deals for 'America’s Got Talent', the original version of the outstandingly successful international format from FremantleMedia and Syco TV.
FME has inked deals across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas taking the show to a phenomenal 80 countries worldwide.
Paul Ridley, recently promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales, Asia Pacific, has secured a pan-regional deal for Asia Pacific with STAR TV as well as a deal with On Media in Korea. Ganesh Rajaram, also promoted recently to Vice President, Sales, Asia, has brokered several deals for the series as part of significant programming packages to broadcasters including Mediacorp TV, Singapore; TVB, Hong Kong; Solar in the Philippines and UBC TV, Thailand. The deals come in the lead up to the 2007 China International Film and TV Programmes Exhibition which takes place in Beijing later this month.
In the Americas, FME has secured a pan-regional deal for America’s Got Talent across Latin America and the Caribbean with Sony; in Canada, FME has also inked both English and French deals with CTV and TVA Groupe respectively. The show has also been picked up across Europe by ITV2, UK; TV3, Eire; TV4, Sweden; Channel 4, Finland; 365 Media, Iceland and across Australasia by Seven Network in Australia and SKY TV in New Zealand.
Ellender commented: “We are thrilled to announce this impressive first wave of sales for America’s Got Talent. Broadcasters all over the world continue to show a massive appetite for variety and talent shows and they have responded tremendously well in particular to this show’s extraordinary talent. We are confident that America’s Got Talent will become a juggernaut that we are immensely proud to represent.”
Simon Jones, Senior Vice President, Operations and International, Syco TV added: “I am delighted with how well America’s Got Talent is selling around the world. The show has really captured people’s imagination and its success reflects the energy and commitment of our distribution partners at FremantleMedia Enterprises.”
With acts ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, America’s Got Talent follows the quest to find the best talent on offer among America’s magicians, jugglers, strippers, fire-eaters, singers, dancers and many more. At stake is a life changing opportunity not only to win the nation’s hearts, but also a huge cash prize. With just a precious few seconds to impress the hardened panel of judges - David Hasselhoff, Brandy and Piers Morgan – the race is on to see who’s Got Talent!
The show, which made its debut on NBC last year, is regularly the highest rated show of the week in the USA and the best performing show in its time slot.
The Got Talent format has also been sold by FremantleMedia to 16 countries around the world to date.
(SP)