Endemol, the world’s largest independent production company, today announced that Big Brother has been sold to Vietnam for the first time. Vietnamese broadcaster VTV has commissioned 65 episodes of Big Brother, which will air over 9 weeks on their VTV6 channel and is set to launch later this year.
This latest commission, which follows a string of Endemol format deals in Vietnam this year, comes as Big Brother enjoys one of its most successful years in major territories around the world. This includes the UK where the show has just completed its highest rating run since moving in 2011 to Channel 5 where it is the broadcaster’s number one series; the USA where the current season is once again the biggest summer show on CBS; India where this year two record breaking regional language versions have launched in addition to the long running national Hindi version; and Australia where a second run on Nine Network is now on air following the show’s comeback last year.
In total over 20 series of Big Brother will air this year in more than 70 countries including the USA, UK, Italy, Spain and Israel as well as in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and Africa. Fotini Paraskakis, Endemol’s Managing Director of Asian Operations comments: “Big Brother continues to be an unstoppable blockbuster more than a decade since it first launched. Following the format’s proven success in other Asian territories we are proud to be bringing it to Vietnam for the very first time and we’re in no doubt that VTV6’s audience will love it.”
Endemol has continued to grow its presence in Asia in 2013, rolling out global formats such as Your Face Sounds Familiar, which having beaten all the competition with season one is due to launch a second series in Vietnam as well as airing a third and fourth series in China; The Money Drop, which has now been picked up in 11 Asian territories; Fear Factor, which has been commissioned for a second season in Malaysia that will launch in early 2014 and a significant line up of other hit shows that are airing in territories throughout the region.
