In a further step towards its consolidation as a global player of not only fiction but non-scripted entertainment content, international production powerhouse The Mediapro Studio has reached an exclusive deal with Belgium’s Be-Entertainment to produce its formats for Spain and Latin America.
The pact also sees The Mediapro Studio developing non-fiction formats for VTM, a Flanders’ leading TV channel with more than 30 years of broadcasting. Like Be-Entertainment, VTM is owned by Belgian giant DPG Media.
TMS will become “the only production company that can exclusively adapt the distributor’s formats for Spain and Latin America,” the European super indie company noted in a press release Monday morning.
TMS is already developing two Be-Entertainment titles, both for the Spanish market.
Created and produced by indie outfit Dedsit, and successfully aired by Play4 channel in Belgian TV prime time, “The Musical of Your Life” pays tribute in each episode to a celebrity, someone beloved and admired by an entire country, combining interview and musical content. TMS and Be-Entertainment unveiled “The Musical of Your Life” format deal in April.
In “The Big Job Switch” format, recently nabbed by TMS, five people embark on a life-changing social experiment through a sea change in their careers.
The TV formats produced after the new agreement will have worldwide distribution in Spain and Latin America, where TMS boasts a solid infrastructure and strong presence throughout the region.
“Be-Entertainment is a reference in non-fiction content distribution, with very innovative and original formats, aimed at a wide range of viewers thanks to a universal language for all audiences, very much in line with the style of The Mediapro Studio’s TV programs,” said Amparo Castellano, head of non-fiction content at TMS.
She added: “For this reason, we believe that they will be very well received by audiences in Spain and Latin America, in the same way that they will be able to adapt our formats for Belgian viewers.”
“Building a team is of mutual benefit. The Mediapro Studio is one of the strongest production companies in the world, with a significant presence in the Spanish-speaking markets, which will help our formats to be produced and broadcast in Spain and Latin America,” said Annelies Noest, business director at Be-Entertainment.
“Its presence on the ground and experience in production in the territory are incredibly valuable assets. At the same time, we are very interested in the possible incorporation of original formats from The Mediapro Studio into our catalog”, she added.
With headquarters in Madrid, The Mediapro Studio, the Mediapro Group’s content creation, production and distribution factory, has rapidly become a key player in the international film-TV content industry, with production activity in 24 of the 53 offices the Mediapro Group operates worldwide.
