Banijay has picked up multi-territory format rights to two Korean reality shows which it will begin pitching this week at the MipTV market in Cannes.
From Korean broadcaster and producer MBC, Banijay has picked up format rights to competition show “Bloody Game” in France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands. From CJ ENM, it has acquired rights in the Nordics, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Australia to relationship format, “EXchange.”
“Bloody Game” launched in Korea in November last year, helping draw subscribers to Wavve, a joint venture streaming platform, in which MBC is a partner. The show is nominated for a C21 Format Award, with the winner revealed during MipTV.
“Exchange” launched last year on TVing, the CJ ENM-controlled streaming platform, and became one of its biggest success stories, adding viewers and subscribers with the release of each episode. The show represented Korea as the national winner for best original programme by a streamer/OTT at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2021. It has now been commissioned for a second season in its home market.
“Exchange” sees young couples, who had split-up in the past, live together for three weeks in a group. They are not allowed to reveal who their ex is while all the participants get to know each other through dates and text messages. The show has a mid-season switcheroo as couples are revealed and so are the senders of the texts.
“Bloody Game” plays things rougher. Competitors in pursuit of a cash prize live together in a secret house and face a series of challenges with no contact from the outside world. They must use stratagems and alliances to avoid eviction. Eviction is not the same as elimination and some contestants who are sent to spend the rest of the series in a locked room can earn a final reprieve, return upstairs to the game and compete for the sole prize.
“There are numerous survival formats out there, but MBC’s ‘Bloody Game’ is above the rest, packed with unique twists to absorb viewers in each episode and action which unfolds beyond anything you could imagine,” said Jean Hur, MBC director of format sales.
“Packed with intriguing games and reality, ‘Bloody Game’ brings the much-admired creativity of recent Korean dramas to the unscripted world. It is a bold show which explores important themes,” said Carlotta Rossi Spencer, Banijay’s head of format acquisitions.
“ ‘Exchange’ is a truly authentic show catering for a younger audience who long for real feelings and genuine love stories. As past relationships are kept secret from the audience as well, the element of guessing had Korean viewers gripped, and we’re expecting a huge amount of interest in this innovative format,” Rossi Spencer said.
The deals expand Banijay’s catalogue of over 4,000 formats. These include flagship brands “Survivor,” “Hunted,” “MasterChef,” “LEGO Masters” and “Big Brother,” as well as the company’s portfolio of fresh new IP “Starstruck,” “Limitless Win,” “The Courtship,” and “Your Body Uncovered.”