C NTENT 12-26 June 2017 www.contentasia.tv l www.contentasiasummit.com FOX Networks ups China drama Nothing Gold Can Stay heads for SCC, FOX+ in new global licensing deal FOX Networks Group Asia has sealed exclusive worldwide broadcast/distri- bution rights (ex China) to upcoming mainland drama Nothing Gold Can Stay. The agreement gives new stream- ing platform FOX+ exclusive access to the story of Shanxi merchant Zhou Ling, played by Sun Li. The whole story is on page 2 MasterChef returns to Thailand Food format debuts on Channel 7 Thai free-TV broadcaster Channel 7 has returned the MasterChef brand to Thailand four years after rival Channel 3 walked away from a junior version of the culinary contest. The whole story is on page 5 PLUS Celebrity Car Wars cameras roll for History page 4 Philippines rocks drama, Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why jumps to mainstream top 10 list page 17 C NTENTASIA 12-26 June 2017 Page 2. Nippon TV taps FOX ups China drama in global rights deal Nakayama for SCC, FOX+ exclusive for Nothing Gold Can Stay international biz division Nippon TV has ap- pointed board director and operating officer, Yoshio Nakaya- ma, to oversee its five-year-old inter- national business division. He reports Yoshio Nakayama to president and CEO Yoshio Okubo. Atsushi Hatayama, appointed in June last year, will continue as president of the division will report to Nakayama. Zee pulls Hindi GE channel off air Zindagi shifts to streaming platform OZEE Nothing Gold Can Stay FOX Networks Group (FNG) Asia has Based on a true story, Nothing Gold Can Zee is pulling three-year-old Hindi gen- picked up exclusive worldwide broad- Stay stars Sun Li (Empresses in the Palace) eral entertainment channel Zindagi off cast/distribution rights (ex China) to as Zhou Ling, a woman who becomes the air at the end of this month in favour of upcoming Chinese drama Nothing Gold richest merchant in Shanxi. a streaming model through on-demand Can Stay. Nothing Gold Can Stay airs in China in platform OZEE. The deal with Beijing-based Chinese November 2017 and will be carried by Zindagi’s digital incarnation goes live production house, HS Entertainment, for FNG’s flagship Chinese entertainment on Sunday, 1 July, with a similar sched- the 68-episode series extends FNG’s go- channel, SCC, and on new streaming ule of programmes from India, Pakistan, big programming strategy launched with platform FOX+ in the fourth quarter of this Turkey, Brazil, South Korea and Ukraine. titles such as Tiger Mom, Go Lala Go 2 and year. Chinese broadcasters are Dragon Exclusive OZEE titles include Snow- Ruyi’s Love in the Palace. TV, Jiangsu TV and Tencent. drop (Ukraine), Descendants of the Sun (Korea) and Total Dreamer (Brazil), along with a slate of Zindagi originals. Zee says the move aims to “expand digital engagement with audiences who HBO picks up Warrior for Asia thrive on time-shifted viewing”. The com- Bruce Lee-inspired action series to air on Cinemax pany also says it is “focused on owning the full extent of the consumer’s premium HBO Asia has picked up rights to Bruce the 19th century. and personal video experience”. Lee-inspired action/crime series, Warrior, Warrior is created/executive pro- Targeting 18 to 24-year olds, OZEE is for Cinemax in Asia. duced for Cinemax by Jonathan Trop- offered across all connected devices The 10-episode crime drama, which per (Banshee) from an idea by Bruce and platforms globally. OZEE is operated starts shooting in South Africa this fall, Lee. EPs include Justin Lin (The Fast and by Zee’s digital arm, Zee Digital Conver- is set during the Tong Wars of San Fran- the Furious) and Bruce Lee’s daughter gence, which also manages dittoTV. cisco’s Chinatown in the second half of Shannon Lee. " ! !!# " # #!! ! !$ # ! ! # %" # #" # # @Issue 2_AD_placement.indd 23 12-26 June 20174/4/17 18:31:03page 3. C NTENTASIA 12-26 June 2017 Page 4. Flanagan tapped to head History returns Celebrity Car Wars History Japan Cameras roll end-June, premiere set for Q4 A+E Networks has appointed John Flanagan as GM for Japanese joint venture, The History Channel Japan Corp. Flanagan, most recently with retailer Black- hawk Network Japan and Korea, replaces Asia Ireton, who has led the His- tory Japan venture’s John Flanagan business for the past four years. The announcement comes in the run up to the first anniversary of A+E Networks’ acquisition of an 80% stake in the 15-year-old joint venture with Japan’s Super-Network Inc. A+E in- creased its stake in the venture from 50% in July 2016. Host Bobby Tonelli returns for Celebrity Car Wars season two Flanagan is based in Tokyo and will work with the rest of the Asia team. A+E Networks Asia’s History Asia starts racing champion Michele Bumgarne, The announcement was made out production on season two of action real- model/Formula 3 driver Gabrielle “Gaby” of New York by Edward Sabin, A+E ity series Celebrity Car Wars at the end of Dela Merced and Malaysian-Chinese Networks’ international MD, and Akira this month. professional racing driver Alex Yoong – are Miyauchi, Super Network’s president. The eight one-hour episodes, produced also back for the new season. by activeTV and funded by Caltex, are Celebrity participants have not yet expected to air in Q4 this year. been disclosed. Last season’s celebs CNNI expands Asia Bobby Tonelli returns as host for the new included Allan Wu, Andrea Fonseka and season, which puts six celebrities from Joey Mead King. commercial team across Asia behind the wheel, minus their The entire second season will be shot in usual drivers and minders. the Philippines with 48 cameras and two CNN International Commercial has Season one’s three mentors – female drones. tapped Delilah Chan as sales director for Southeast Asia and Zab Ali as digital director for North Asia. Chan is based in Singapore and Ali in Hong Kong. Chan TBS Japan celebrates U.S./U.K. renewals reports to Sunita Rajan, CNN Interna- tional Commercial Asia Pacific SVP for Japanese broadcaster TBS is celebrating since 1990. Season 30 of You’ve Been ad sales. Ali reports to Rob Bradley, VP, the 28th anniversary of video-clip series Framed is currently in production for ITV. digital commercial strategy and rev- America’s Funniest Home Videos – based TBS’ current formats catalogue includes enue. Chan was most recently head of on its format Fun TV with Kato-chan and American Ninja Warrior, currently in its Asia Pacific sales for kids digital platform Ken-chan – on ABC in the U.S. eighth season; 26hours/day, which charts SuperAwesome. She previously worked In a second milestone, TBS has broken the shortest time possible to complete for Twitter and BBC. Ali was most recently out the Champagne for You’ve Been viewer-led tasks; and Brain Survivor, a studio- with Havas Media. Framed, which has been on air in the U.K. based test of perception and memory. C NTENTASIA 12-26 June 2017 Page 5. iQiyi premieres Looi MasterChef grows up for Thailand in first Asia deal Cooking contest debuts on Ch7 four years after Jnr exits Looi Mainland Chinese platform iQiyi premiered pre-school series Looi on its SVOD and AVOD platforms this month. Looi, produced by U.K-based Looi Ltd, is the story of Looi the Cat and a magic box of shapes used to create a variety of animal toy figures. iQiyi bought all 26-episodes/two seasons along with 29 shorts in a non-exclusive licensing deal that marked Looi’s entry into Asia. Previ- Host Piyathida Mittrirarot with judges (from left) Kwantip Devakula, Pasan Sawasdiwat and Ian Kittichai ous access to Looi in the region was on YouTube. Thai free-TV broadcaster Channel 7 pre- Formats Outlook Q1 2017. The dominant miered the first local version ofMasterChef genres are fun game shows, most of which HK’s UA Cinemas enters this month, four years after rival Channel 3 are in second, third or fourth seasons, and walked away from a junior version of the singing competitions. e-licensing realm for culinary contest. The longest-running game show at the Saving Banksy MasterChef Thailand (17 x 80 mins) moment is Step Right Up, currently in its premiered on 4 June and airs Sundays eighth season on MCOT/Channel 9. Real Hong Kong’s UA Cinemas Circuit has (6.20pm-7.50pm). Housewives of Bangkok flies the flag for entered the e-licensing realm in a deal MasterChef Thailand was commissioned character-driven reality in this market of for street art doc Saving Banksy. The by production company Heliconia H 22 million television households. feature-length show was acquired Group with involvement by cia, a special Korean formats have made headway through online sales platform BidSlate, content unit of dentsu X (Thailand) for in Thailand; the two most recent are I Can which went live in October last year. formats rights consultation and produc- See Your Voice from CJ E&M and The Mask Saving Banksy, released in the U.S. in tion coordination. Singer from MBC. The Mask Singer was January this year, will air during this The MasterChef brand debuted in Thai- originally commissioned by Workpoint TV as year’s ARTiculate Film Festival. land in 2013 with MasterChef Junior. At a 13-episode series and was so successful the time, the production was criticised for it was extended to 27 episodes. low production values and the show was FremantleMedia was ahead in Thailand @contentasia not renewed.