RTBF sells “La Yourte” adaptation rights to the TF1 group

RTBF sells the adaptation rights of “La Yourte” to the TF1 group. “We fell for “La Yourte” from the very first scenes. The advantage of the format is that it is made for great family and popular entertainment while raising awareness on ecological issues. The TF1 teams are proud to collaborate with the Belgian Public Service on this program and hope it will meet the same success as on RTBF," Julien DEGROOTE, Director of Development and Creation, TF1 Group.

With a prime time slot in December 2022 on Tipik, the young adult channel of the RTBF group, the 4 episodes of “La Yourte" attracted an average audience share of 16.4%, well above the average rank. The show was popular specifically among 15-34 year-olds, reaching a 26.6% audience share in that category. “La Yourte” is a co-creation of Why Why Prod and RTBF, with the support of Wallimage. The format is distributed by RTBF Creative. This ground-breaking TV format, combining docu-reality and ecological awareness, won over TF1 with its mixture of entertainment and gameshow codes.

Featuring the cast of the “Grand Cactus” Belgian comedy TV show, the title showcases the five days during which famous candidates have to live together in a yurt, stripped of their usual creature comforts, and take up various comical challenges that must be met by adopting eco-responsible behavior. If they win, money goes to an association working in the field of sustainable development. On the other hand, if they lose, resources and utilities are taken away from them for the rest of the stay.

“RTBF’s strategy is to develop original formats because we are convinced that French-speaking Belgian creativity can contribute innovative and refreshing concepts to international markets," Sandrine Roustan, Managing Director of Content at RTBF said. "'La Yourte,' which was co-created with Céline Vanden Eynde, a young Belgian producer, is an example of a successful collaboration between young talents and the public service. Using the codes of docu-reality, while shying away from voyeurism, at the service of the environment was a bold challenge. The whole point of this format is to trigger ecological awareness while having fun."