China’s Enlight Media has bought Israeli television group Keshet International’s Rising Star, and the company believes its interactive elements will help dispel some of the format fatigue that singing shows are generating.
Zhang Hang, head of Enlight Media’s TV unit, said at a news conference in Shanghai that the interactive singing show format was better suited to the Internet era, with the advantage that audiences were not just watching a screen but could really get involved.
Rising Star, which Keshet debuted in Israel last fall and to international buyers at the Mipcom market in October, has since sold to more than 25 territories, with ITV grabbing it for the U.K. and RTL taking Germany, among others.
Singing shows are a big success in China, with China Idol and The Voice of China the most popular titles.
Enlight is the first private Chinese media company to import such a big-name format, and it reportedly beat off stiff competition from Hunan TV, Jiangsu TV and other private companies bidding for it.
Zhang said that in the face of audience fatigue about singing shows, Rising Star was different. A network partner for the show wasn't immediately announced.
“This show has been successful in many countries in the world, a sign of the huge power and influence of Rising Star. Of course, we will put enormous capital and energy into building this show. It has no reason to fail,” he said. “How the Chinese version of Rising Star will be presented to the Chinese audience, and when, and on which platform, is also generating a lot of anticipation.”