Major strategic development partnership agreed to cultivate new global formats

NBCUniversal International Studios and Quebecor Content today announce a major strategic development partnership to co-develop new factual entertainment and studio-based formats suitable for global audiences.

NBCUniversal International Studios’ creative conversations with Quebecor Content will be driven by its London based in-house format lab, Tellycopter. Quebecor Content and NBCUniversal International Studios will share all IP created through the partnership, and NBCUniversal has been granted the rights to exploit the format and distribution rights internationally.

We are pleased to continue our collaborative creative development approach with leading partner, NBCUniversal International Studios. For Quebecor Content, this is another very important step towards globalizing our activities and exporting Quebec-made television.

David Mortimer, SVP, Factual & Entertainment, NBCUniversal International Studios adds: It is great to be partnering with such a well-established international content provider like Quebecor Content. We are hoping our experience in developing successful and globally renowned entertainment shows, teamed with their invaluable knowledge of the French Canadian TV market, will result in the development of some great new formats that will boast international appeal.

NBCUniversal International Studios recently agreed a similar co-development agreement with TV3 in Ireland. Quebecor Content also has strategic partnership deals with TF1 Production, Armoza Formats and French production company, Kabo.

NBCUniversal International Studios develops and produces high-quality scripted and non-scripted programming in all genres. Tellycopter was launched in Feb 2014; tasked with developing the next generation of high impact, large scale, returnable formats for the international market. The unit consists of two complementary teams – one focused on shiny floor entertainment shows, and the other on returnable high-end factual entertainment formats.

International Studio’s factual entertainment and entertainment formats include Made in Chelsea for E4 and Newlyweds for Bravo, both produced by its production company, Monkey, The 21^st Question for ITV and Driving School of Mum and Dad for Sky 1, produced by the company’s factual entertainment label, Chocolate Media and Matchbox Pictures’ The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

Lark Productions, which NBCUniversal International Studios owns an equity stake in, will produce all English language versions of the formats developed for Canada.

Quebecor Content’s latest projects include By Invitation Only, Live From My Home, Only One Knows; all of which are available in the international format market.