ENDEMOL SHINE FIRES UP NEW DEALS ACROSS ASIA FOR “MASTERCHEF”

Global producer, content creator and distributor Endemol Shine announced the latest deals for its cookery hit “MasterChef” in Asia. The deals were agreed by Endemol Shine International’s Executive Director for Asia, Rashmi Bajpai, and her team.

In Thailand, production house Heliconia H Group has commissioned a first series of “MasterChef All Stars Thailand,” expanding its five-year relationship with Endemol Shine. The new version of the long-running format will continue to air in the Heliconia-owned airtime block on Sundays on free-TV station Bangkok Broadcasting & Television (BBTV aka Ch7).

The original “MasterChef” format has been renewed for a sixth series in Indonesia by RCTI, and a second run of “MasterChef” has just completed its run in Myanmar on MRTV- 4 (Forever Group) with a third season coming soon.

Endemol Shine has also agreed seven new distribution deals for “MasterChef” with broadcasters across Asia. In detail, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia has picked up season ten of “MasterChef US” and season seven of “MasterChef Junior,” both produced by Endemol Shine North America, to air on Fox Life (Southeast Asia and Hong Kong) and Fox (Taiwan).

Meanwhile, Star, India’s leading media conglomerate, has snapped up season 10 of “MasterChef US,” alongside season eleven of “MasterChef Australia,” which will continue to be aired on the network’s linear channel Star World and its digital streaming service, Hotstar. Living Foodz in India has also signed a deal for season nine of “MasterChef Australia”. Moreover, the eleventh season of “MasterChef Australia” has been sold to A&E Networks Asia to broadcast across Asia. Lastly, Discovery has picked up season seven of Endemol Shine Australia’s hit to air across Southeast Asia on TLC.

2019 was the most successful year to date for “MasterChef” with 53 confirmed productions across 35 markets. The 63rd market to pick up the show was recently announced in a deal with PSM for the Maldives. Meanwhile, the local adaptation of the show made a comeback in India on the linear channel Star Plus and Hotstar app in December 2019, and celebrated its 10th anniversary and 200th episode in the US as well as drawing in audiences in major markets, including the UK, Brazil, Australia, Italy and Spain.

Rashmi Bajpai, Executive Director for Asia at Endemol Shine, said: “Audiences in Asia love ‘MasterChef’ and without a doubt the seven distribution deals for the US and Australian versions will deliver excellent ratings in the region. Local productions are extremely popular too, and ‘MasterChef All Stars’ is a fantastic spin-off series featuring talented returning contestants, which is heading to Thailand for the first time”.