Format pre-sales & partnerships key in fragmenting market

Format deals have “fundamentally changed” amid market fragmentation, with pre-sales and partnerships becoming a vital part of the route to market, according to industry execs.

Where once shows would launch in a territory before being pitched to global buyers, groups such as ITV Studios and John de Mol’s Talpa Studios are increasingly looking for multiple partners to get formats off the ground.

Talpa partnered with Fox Entertainment on its upcoming launch The House of Hide & Seek in a deal that saw the US group taking a stake in the IP before it was even produced for RTL Nederland.

The investment enabled Talpa to build a more ambitious set for the Dutch version and to produce a US pilot, which in turn has helped to deliver a format sale with an as-yet undisclosed partner in Spain.

“We reached out to Fox and pitched them the idea,” said Jasper Hoogendoorn, chief creative officer, Talpa Studios, who was speaking at Content Europe in Lisbon this week.

“We said, if you join us up front then we can give you a share of the IP for doing that, and that meant we could build an even bigger house. It also meant we could shoot a pilot for the US market and the series, and if it’s good, then we have access to one of biggest networks in world.

“We have also now sold [the format] to Spain before even airing in the Netherlands, it’s a new way of finding possibilities to make shows happen.”

ITV Studios has been looking to make similar moves by striking deals with multiple partners and Mike Beale, MD of creative network at ITV Studios, said the sales process had transformed over recent years.

“We can’t just turn up at a big market and launch a new show anymore, you have to find partners in advance and go early,” he said, pointing to Nobody’s Fool, which has a Norwegian version with NRK confirmed ahead of its UK premiere in the coming weeks.

“We are not waiting for a market to launch a show - we’re taking it to buyers before we go. The format sales process has changed fundamentally when it comes to getting a show launched.”

Beale also railed against the “obsession” with overnight ratings, “which is ridiculous given th way people consume content now.”

Rise and rise of clipping

ITVS is looking to drive social engagement on upcoming show such as Nobody’s Fool and The Neighbourhood by targeting younger audiences on TikTok and YouTube, and Beale said adapting to viewing habit changes was vital to driving a format’s success.

“We’ve got to embrace the fact that people are watching our content everywhere and we have to measure it everywhere - rather than focusing just on the people watching on a Tuesday night.

“Launching a new show now is incredibly hard and it is about finding audiences where they are and delivering in the shape they want it.

“We’re looking much more closely at social and digital marketing, getting much more content out there than we used to.”

A similar approach has been used on NBCUniversal’s recent launch of Saturday Night Live on Sky in the UK, added Hannah Mabruk, senior vice president of format sales & production.

Mabruk admitted that the industry is still “grappling” with how much content to make available on services such as YouTube and TikTok, but said clipping has become a key focus.

“It’s a marketing tool that helps us keep our shows in popular conversation, driving viewers to the broadcaster to see it.

“On all our shows, we want to service our fans all year round and we see this with SNL,” she said, pointing to the popularity of the original US version of SNL on YouTube, which also hosts exclusive content.

Those learnings are being applied to upcoming remakes of SNL, including a French version that is in the works with Canal+, marking a revival of the format with the pay TV giant.

Spinning revenue from non-screen activities has also become an increasingly important part of the business, with Nick Smith, All3Media’s executive vice president of formats and licensing, All3Media International, pointing to the rise of live events around IP such as The Traitors.

“Everyone wants more than a TV show now,” added Laura St Clair, senior vice president of international formats at Sony Pictures Television.

“The deals are more complicated now but if you’re working as a true partner then it is a lot easier because you’re in the weeds with them when you are striking those deals.”