Televisa eyes JLA, RDF deals

Mexican media group Televisa is set to ink a number of major international format deals with French production company JLA Groupe and UK super indie RDF.

The company is in negotiations to sell formats such as The Magnificent Five to the French and English-language producers.

This follows last year’s deal with Lionsgate, which is producing  Dancing For The Wedding Of My Dreams for the US market.

Jose Luis Romero, head of formats at Televisa, said: "We have been working on conversations with RDF and some others but nothing has been closed yet. We’re trying to expand and are working on some deals."

It is currently in the development process in the United States. "It’s not easy to get into the United States. It’s moving but it’s taking a little longer than we had expected," he added. Televisa has also been careful with which formats and shows it is allowed to take in to the United States as a result of its output deal with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision. The two sides are set to face each other in court in April to determine the future of this deal.

Meanwhile, Televisa is focusing on its latest telenovela Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo (Dumb Girls Don’t Go To Heaven) for this month’s Mip TV market.