Television
September 1, 2010
Warner Bros. And Talpa Team Up In The UK
(September 1, 2010 - Laren, The Netherlands and London, UK) – Talpa Media, the Dutch holding company owned by media entrepreneur John de Mol, and Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP), based in the UK, team up to produce television series based upon successful formats created and owned by Talpa. The Warner-Talpa cooperation oversees the exclusive right in the United Kingdom to sell, adapt and produce all Talpa formats. The joint announcement was made today by Pim Schmitz, CEO of Talpa Media Holding and Ronald Goes, Executive Vice President and Head of International Television Production, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.
The London-based activities of Warner and Talpa will be overseen by Andrew Zein, Senior Vice President, Creative, Format Development and Sales for Warner Bros. International Television Production. This builds on the deal established by Talpa in February this year with Warner Horizon Television (WHTV), the U.S.-based alternative and cable series production unit of the Warner Bros. Television Group.
WBITVP is in the process of establishing operating production companies in major territories around the world with the mandate to create locally produced versions of programs owned by the Studio and to develop original local programming on a market by market basis.
For 2010, Talpa Media’s catalogue includes appealing formats like: “The Golden Cage,” “Dating in the Dark,” “Viper’s Nest,” “Pretty Smart,” “M/F,” “Guesstimation,” “I Love My Country,” “Divided” and “Know Your Nation.”
Talpa is rapidly expanding its international activities based on the success of its TV formats. In the past eight months, Talpa Media set up co-operation deals with local partners active in the TV markets of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Furthermore, in May 2010, Talpa Media acquired a minority stake in the successful Russian production company Mir Reality.###