ITV Studios & China's Hunan TV agree strategic new format partnership

Media News

Hong Kong, January 13, 2010

Hunan Television, the TV and satellite broadcaster in China, and ITV STUDIOS, one of the world’s leading independent production companies and a division of ITV Plc, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, today announced a ground-breaking deal to develop and license a series of entertainment and other unscripted formats for original broadcast on Hunan Satellite Television from 2010, reaching more than 58 million viewers domestically. The announcement was made by Ouyang Changlin, President of Hunan Television and Lee Bartlett, Managing Director of ITV STUDIOS.

In this landmark television agreement, Hunan TV will license multiple formats over three years. ITV STUDIOS and Hunan TV will also co-develop, create and own these new unscripted formats together. The new programming will be broadcast in primetime from 2010 and will be produced locally by Hunan TV. ITV STUDIOS will represent the worldwide rights outside China for the finished and format versions.

Ouyang Changlin, President of Hunan Television said: "We are very pleased with this agreement which bring together two major broadcasters. I believe that the collaboration will bring Hunan TV’s entry into the international market one step closer. We look forward to the delivery of the new shows to our audience cross China."

Lee Bartlett, Managing Director of ITV STUDIOS said: "China’s television format industry has tremendous potential for international growth and, until now, has been relatively untapped. It was President Changlin’s extraordinary vision and enterprise to create a platform to showcase China’s production skills to the global TV market that has enabled us to build this new partnership. The collaboration will also unite Hunan TV with the very best in creative talent through ITV Studios in-house format development team."

Bartlett continued: "This agreement would not have been possible without the hard work and creativity of Remy Blumenfeld and James Ross and the deal exemplifies how we have changed the way we’re doing business and created unrivalled creative collaborations, such as this with Hunan. I’m confident that our new partnership with Hunan TV will result in great success for Hunan TV and ITV Studios but also the wider China TV market place internationally."

ITV STUDIOS is based in the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Brazil and Australia and is the creator, producer and distributor of worldwide television formats including the primetime hit shows Hell’s Kitchen (FOX), I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (ITV, RTL, NBC, Sony India), Pasapalabra (France Television, Telecinco) and Come Dine with Me, which has been recreated in sixteen countries spanning the UK (Channel 4), Germany (VOX), M6 (France) and XYZ (Australia).

Remy Blumenfeld, Director of Formats at ITV STUDIOS said "We consider this to be a truly unique agreement which will provide ITV Studios and Hunan with the frame work to create, produce and showcase to China, and the world, the skill and originality of China’s finest television makers. ITV Studios created 6 of the top 10 shows watched on ITV this year, along with a slate of entertainments highest rating formats for other leading broadcasters – such as FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen. It’s our ambition to work with Hunan in creating a portfolio of compelling ‘must-see’ shows for the domestic broadcaster, which our sales force will then sell to the global market."

James Ross, Regional Director at ITV STUDIOS said: "Today’s news is a culmination of an ongoing partnership which has also involved our two companies hosting producer exchanges in the UK and China. We have learnt volumes from each other, and together our new strategic agreement will showcase to the world the very best in China’s television ideas courtesy of Hunan and ITV Studios."

For further information, please contact:

ITV Studios Global Entertainment

Louise Evans

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7157 3710

Email: louise.evans@itv.com