Middle Eastern broadcasters board Banijay’s Trust

Three Middle Eastern broadcasters have signed up to take local versions of Banijay International’s gameshow Trust.

This follows local productions in France with France 2 and in Turkey with ATV.

Rotana Khaligia in Saudi Arabia, Rotana Egypt and Future TV in Lebanon will launch the 20x1hour gameshow in weekly primetime slots.

I-deas TV Productions will produce the three different versions, which will be produced in three different Arabic dialects and presented by a local host that will ask local questions.

The gameshow, which was originally created by Air Productions and Banijay Creative Factory, sees two strangers work together to answer trivia questions. However, they must then compete against each other and double-cross each other to take home the money.

Sebastian Burkhardt, Head of Sales, Banijay International, said: “The Middle East is steadily becoming a key region for format acquisition and this landmark deal reflects not only local buyers’ appetite for strong, proven international formats but also Banijay International’s wide reach as a global distributor.”

Abdel Fatah Elmasry, owner and CEO at I-deas TV Productions, added: “This is the first time a format has been produced in three different Arabic dialects and we are very excited by the challenge. Whilst a pan-regional option is the easy route, creating innovative formats which are completely local – including the show’s name and using a well-loved host and with prizes awarded in local currency – is extremely important for broadcasters right now. Viewers want to feel that they are part of the game in their own country and Trust enables us to deliver a truly bespoke entertainment experience.”