CEETV’s Yako Molhov spoke with Andrew Sime, VP of Entertainment at Zodiak Rights, discussing the company’s business trends post-MIPCOM with a focus on CEE.


CEETV: Mr. Sime, how would you rate interest for your new shows post-MIPCOM?

AS: Zodiak Rights had another successful MIPCOM, with a strong catalog of formats, scripted and finished programs. We had new formats from across the Zodiak group of companies, as well as some acquired third-party hits. Humble Pie (RDF), Monte Bianco (ALP) and Undressed (ZMG) all generated a huge amount of interest from broadcasters and producers around the world. And with major scripted projects such as Versailles (Canal+ France), Occupied (TV 2 Norway, Sky Arts, UK), and Rebellion (RTE Ireland, SundanceTV US); and readymade hits including The Supervet (Channel 4 UK), The Catch (Channel 4 UK), and SAS Who Dares Wins (Channel 4 UK), it's safe to say we had a very strong slate.

CEETV: Which formats attracted the biggest interest?

AS: We're still seeing a lot of interest for some of the formats we introduced at MIPTV 2015. Wild Things (IWC/Mad Monk/GME) is returning to the UK's Sky 1 in 2016, and has already been produced in Belgium and Russia, with a raft of other deals in the pipeline. The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds has also been recommissioned in the UK, where an extended run is now airing on Channel 4. Interestingly, as well as a new group of 4 year olds, it will also feature episodes about 5 and 6 year olds. In Belgium and Denmark, local versions have proven popular with audiences too.

CEETV: Zodiak operates two production companies in Russia. Is the company planning to open companies in other CEE territories?

AS: Zodiak's Russian companies have been busy on a range of recent projects, including cookery gameshow Recipe Relay and Wild Things for CTC, and That's My Kid for Disney Channel Russia. Zodiak Rights sells finished programs, scripted shows and formats all across CEE, and will continue to find the best partner in every country for each of the projects we represent.

CEETV: One of your best-selling formats in the CEE region is Wife Swap. Which are your other major titles in the region?

AS: Wife Swap is one of our longest-running and most watched formats worldwide. It's a global hit, and continues to perform well for us in countries including Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. We also enjoy a lot of success with our third-party format Psychic Challenge (TeVe), which has run for nearly 20 seasons in both Russia and Ukraine. We've got strong relationships throughout CEE, and it's encouraging to see some of our newer formats gaining momentum in the region.

CEETV: What are you looking for when acquiring and representing content from other companies?

AS: We work closely with our creative operations and acquisitions team within the Zodiak Media Group to ensure that we're able to represent the very best global content. In terms of formats, we take pride in our acquired formats such as Psychic Challenge (TeVe); and The Best Singers (FTV), which has become a huge hit in Germany recently, and is already an established brand in countries such as Estonia and Lithuania.