 "Endemol produces Big Brother China in India")
After having fortified its position as a leading format owner and producer in the country, Endemol India now aims to make India a hub for outsourcing television production for South East Asian countries. Starting with Big Brother China, the production house is looking at partnering with broadcasters in countries like Korea, Japan and Indonesia to outsource content production.
Big Brother China is the result of a partnership between the multi-platform format owner and China’s leading digital video platform Youku Tudou Inc. The show will be aired exclusively on the digital platform and is expected to launch the pilot in November.
Deepak Dhar, MD and CEO, Endemol India explains: “We have produced the show for eight season in Hindi and have produced three regional variants of Bigg Boss in India. We are about to embark on the ninth season of Bigg Boss in October so we have ample experience to produce the show. Also, the audience preferences in China are similar to India and we have there sources needed to produce a show for digital.”
He feels that there is immense scope to turn India into a content production outsourcing hub, especially in the South East Asian markets since there are distinct cultural similarities and the TV industry in India is massive. "Producers in India can offer these resources at a competitive rate and produce good quality content for neighbouring markets," he said.
Apart from Bigg Boss (the Indian adaptation of Big Brother) Endemol has also produced Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Fear Factor(also on Colors) for multiple seasons. It was also involved in the production of Yudh, which marked the debut of Amitabh Bachchan as an actor on the small screen. Apart from growing the outsourcing faction, the company will continue to bring new formats to India and adapt them for Hindi and other regional markets.
