Sony shines with Dutch formats

Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) is taking a number of Dutch formats to market for the first time following its acquisition of Tuvalu Media Netherlands. It is also selling formats from Elisabeth Murdoch’s Shine Productions, which it part owns, for the first time.

It will shop Tuvalu’s factual entertainment format The 100: Marriage and family talent show Twinzz. Sony acquired Tuvalu in December 2007. It is also distributing What Are You Like?, the celebrity gameshow produced by Shine for the BBC.

SPTI, the international arm of the Hollywood studio, has also secured a number of key format sales of its pop culture gameshow Power of 10 and business format Dragons’ Den.

Power of 10 has sold to Vox (Germany), SET (India), Venevision (Venezuela) Kanal 5 (Sweden), TV Norge (Norway). The show, which airs on CBS in the United States, challenges contestants to bet according to how the public will predict a series of pop culture polls. Alex Elliot, formats executive at SPTI, said: "We’re taking advantage of the gameshow trend in primetime. Deal or no Deal has been very successful so everyone’s looking for the next one."

Sony continues to successfully sell its business reality format Dragon’s Den internationally. Nigerian public broadcaster MBA is making a local version of the show, ahead of a South African production. Mark Burnet is attached to make a US version – titled The Shark Tank. It is also in talks with BBC2 for a sixth season in the UK.

Elliot said that it is also looking at ways to keep the format fresh. "We’re always in discussions as to whether there should be a kids spin off," she added.