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The United Kingdom has cemented its position as the largest exporter of unicenized television formats, such as Masterchef And The voiceemphasizing the importance of local intellectual property while competitors abroad ITV production activity.
The United Kingdom has increased its number of adaptations abroad of local formats of 18% last year after several years of decline, according to the data supplier K7 Media, making it the only top five exporter to record growth.
The exported British formats represented approximately a third of all the new television adaptations worldwide in 2024. The previous year, the UK market share was about a quarter-just ahead of the United States.
More recent formats such as The 1% club – Made by BBC Studios – and The piano – by Fremantle – continued to sell strongly, said K7 Media, while older programs such as Masterchef And Who wants to be a millionaire? also had dozens of active versions worldwide.
ITV Studios, the TV branch of UK Media Group, has had another successful year with older formats such as Come and dinner with me And Love island as well as The voiceWhich, according to K7, said 29 local back versions for new seasons. ITV Studios has also created successful spin-offs of popular shows, such as a junior version of The voice.
The data highlights the force of British television production while the government sets out proposals to support the creative industries in its next industrial strategy this summer.
Groups abroad such as Banijay, the French television company, and Redbird IMI, the American investor who owns All3Media, envisaged purchase or merger offers with ITV Studios, which was the second largest distributor in volume of active adaptations in 2024.
“British television has a story of success in the world,” said media boss K7, Keri Lewis Brown. “What we see now is the heritage heritage of the United Kingdom, innovation in format and global collaboration showing resurgence in a difficult climate and a rapidly evolving world.”
The creation of local television programs that can then be sold to other markets is a more lucrative business model than making programs for rivals abroad such as American streamers, which also create many programs in the United Kingdom.
Many exported shows in the United Kingdom are made by public service broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, which have called on the government to support the creative sector to help it compete with the largest American streaming platforms.
K7 Media said that more than 50 original format adaptations in the United Kingdom have already been confirmed for 2025.
Managers raised concerns this week about dependence on American money after President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% prices on films made abroad.
“Great Britain again gives the pace on television not scripted in the world,” said Trang Nguyen of K7 Media.
The group said that French formats also continued to sell well, in particular The A Talks, Where celebrities are interviewed by autism journalists. Japan emerges as a strong source of formats in Asia. These include the comedy game game Lol: the last laughwhich has received a major boost by its rapid deployment of Amazon on international markets.
