Friday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

SBS6 extends Let’s Play Ball

Dutch broadcaster SBS6 has ordered a second season of Let’s Play Ball, the unscripted format that debuted on YouTube.

The second season is from Banijay-owned EndemolShine Nederland, Talpa Studios and Signal.Stream, and follows the show’s debut on SBS6 this summer.

Let’s Play Ball was piloted on YouTube via StukTV, where it drew over 1.2m views and is now leading Banijay Entertainment’s format line-up for Mipcom next month.

Banijay UK labels Zeppotron and Initial are co-developing an English-language version.

Objective Entertainment appoints Lucy Shepherd 

Objective Media Group’s nascent label Objective Entertainment has appointed Race Across the World exec producer Lucy Shepherd as director of programmes.

Shepherd will work alongside managing director Neale Simpson and creative director Rebecca Kenny-Smith, leading on the development of new formats and overseeing production.

The appointment comes as the All3Media company, which launched last year, landed a US commission for Hallmark Channel.

Eight-part family baking competition series Baked With Love will launch in October and is being presented by actor Tamera Mowry-Housley, with judges Anna Haugh (MasterChef) and Vaughn Vreeland.

Keshet Int’l to sell Red Alert in Cannes

Keshet International (KI) is leading its Mipcom slate with a slew of formats and drama Red Alert, which was recently picked up on a non-exclusive basis (excluding US) by Paramount+.

Keshet 12’s Red Alert depicts the powerful real stories of ordinary people turned into heroes during the 7 October attacks, while other scripted series on the slate include Nutuk and Messiah Superstar, a German version of the mockumentary comedy format Messiah produced for streamer Joyn.

The unscripted slate includes spin-off format BOOM! Heist Mode, while The Search Kids is a TV version of a word search puzzle, which has been created by Youngest Media and KI.

KI has also picked up ITV’s Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children for distribution, while Caledonia TV’s Hitler’s Favourite Royals has been added to the slate having been identified via KI’s Greenlight: Factual & Formats initiative.

EBU to vote on Israel’s Eurovision future

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed it will hold a vote to decide Israel’s participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The EBU will hold an extraordinary General Assembly online in early November where Israeli broadcaster KAN’s participation in the 2026 singing contest will be the only item on the agenda.

It marks the first time in the Eurovision’s history that member broadcasters decide whether one of their peers takes part in the annual competition; until now EBU membership guaranteed the right to take part in the Eurovision. Read more