English Entertainment
Warner Bros acquires worldwide TV rights of ‘Chef In Your Ear’
MUMBAI: Warner Bros has secured the worldwide TV rights (excluding Asia) for the newly launched studio entertainment game show, Chef In Your Ear created by UK based company, The Format People for Food Network Canada.
The format will receive its global launch at MIPCOM in October.
The 26-part primetime series is the Food Networks’ number one rated show on Monday nights in 2015, increasing the year-ago slot average by 172 per cent (A18-49) and winning 271,000 viewers so far.
Food Network is famed for long-running programming that includes Top Chef Canada that in its previous Monday night time-period ranked as a top series on the network and reached 242,000 total viewers.
Chef In Your Ear premiered 31 August, 2015 and has become the number three show across 59 basic cable networks in Canada amongst Adults 18-49 in its time period.
Food Network’s debut coincided with a second production of Chef In Your Ear for French speaking Canada on Ici Radio-Canada Télé. Locally titled Un Chef ? L’Oreille, the 14-part series is produced by 350 productions and the premiere ranked number one at 8 pm amongst all key demos in the territory.
Chef In Your Ear sees two professional chefs aim to deliver a restaurant quality dish by remote control. All the cooking is done by two novice cooks, many of whom claim to be kitchen disasters, each wearing an ear-piece. They take instruction from a celebrity chef whom they have been paired with, and who is locked away in a booth, unable to smell or taste the food.
Warner Bros. International Television Production senior vice president format development and sales creative Andrew Zein said, “Chef In Your Ear brings the familiarity of the studio kitchen, super sized and transformed with a fun-packed and completely original twist by splitting the professional chef out of the kitchen to direct our amateurs. It’s a totally new TV experience that is exciting, emotional at times and rewarding for both the viewer and contestant. We’re delighted to have acquired the format and will be launching it with our global partners at MIPCOM.”
“We are thrilled that Warner Bros. will distribute Chef In Your Ear. They have a stellar reputation with broadcasters everywhere and we are confident that they will enjoy great success with this highly scalable format,” added The Format People CEO Michel Rodrigue.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
