Acunmedya’s CEO highlighted the continued success of the format, which recently premiered its tenth season in Mexico, and showcased the capabilities of its production hub in the Dominican Republic. The company is also looking to expand its European presence through Sport1 and develop new original formats for 2027.

*with reporting by Carolina Mussio and Ana Paula Carreira from Cannes, France.

Acunmedya arrived at Mipcom 2026 with Exatlon as the main highlight of its catalog and an international production offering supported by ACM Production Hub, its production complex in the Dominican Republic. Speaking with ttv, Ebru Atasav Tahrancı, CEO of the company, highlighted the format’s success, following the recent premiere of its tenth season in Mexico on Azteca Uno, and opportunities for expansion into new markets.

“For us, Exatlon is a reality show that has a lot of sports in it. And people never get tired of watching sports, just like football,” the executive explained. “The show turns ordinary people into heroes. Viewers feel they could be there too, that they could become one of those heroes. That connection with the contestants is what keeps them watching.”

The format also recently returned to Serbia, where its second season premiered in September on Informer TV, while Acunmedya continues producing local adaptations for different territories.

“A format is like a container, and every season you put different elements into it. It’s the contestants’ real stories that keep it fresh and create new situations for audiences,” Tahrancı said.

The company currently works with partners in 15 countries and also produces local adaptations of international formats such as Survivor, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice.

Much of this activity is centered around ACM Production Hub, a three-million-square-meter complex in the Dominican Republic, featuring facilities capable of hosting multiple simultaneous productions and providing comprehensive services for international broadcasters and production companies.

“We have one of the biggest open-air production hubs in the world. We don’t just produce our own formats. We also host productions for other companies, even when they’re not our formats or intended for our channels,” she highlighted.

According to Acunmedya, the complex employs more than 1,500 professionals and produces over 5,000 hours of primetime content annually.

Beyond its productions for TV Azteca in Mexico and Telemundo in the US Hispanic market, Tahrancı identified new opportunities for regional expansion.

“Exatlon has a huge following in Latin America. We’re already present in major markets such as Mexico and the US Hispanic market, but we’d also like to be on air in Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. Hopefully, we’ll make that happen,” she said.

The executive also emphasized the importance of the company’s Dominican Republic infrastructure in meeting the needs of international partners, whether producing its own formats or providing production services for third-party franchises.

Sport1’s Strategy in Germany

Another key pillar of Acunmedya’s expansion is Germany, where the group acquired a 50% stake in Sport1 in 2024 as part of a strategic partnership to introduce entertainment content to the sports channel’s programming.

“We acquired Sport1 because we wanted to gain experience operating a channel in Europe, and Germany is one of the biggest markets. We’re not changing its sports DNA, but we’re gradually introducing entertainment to that audience,” Tahrancı explained.

The channel’s programming includes Acunmedya productions such as Exatlon, My Style Rocks and Darts Party, combining athletic competitions with other entertainment formats.

“If you ask me what our company’s DNA is, I’d say it’s sports and entertainment. That’s why having a sports channel fits perfectly with our strategy,” she added.

Looking ahead to 2027, Tahrancı said the company plans to strengthen the creative development of its catalog.

“It’s been a good year, with strong ratings across the territories where we produce and on our channels. Next year, we want to introduce new ideas and formats. We’ve developed a few this year, but we want to focus even more on the creative side, in addition to production,” she concluded.

La entrada Ebru Atasav Tahrancı, Acunmedya: “We Want to Bring Exatlon to More Latin American Countries” se publicó primero en TTV News.

La Isla: Desafío Extremo was the most-watched program among Spanish-language channels in the US in its time slot on Tuesday night, reaching 1.14 million viewers, achieving record ratings.

La Isla: Desafío Extremo, broadcast on Telemundo and produced by Acunmedya, celebrated its premiere with a major prime time victory. It was the most-watched program among Spanish-language channels in the USA in its time slot on Tuesday night. According to international research company Nielsen, the program reached 379,000 viewers aged 18-49. In total, it was watched by 1.14 million viewers, achieving record ratings.

The competition program produced by Acunmedya has not only topped the TV ratings but also reached the top on social media.

According to social media monitoring and reporting company Talkwalker, the program surpassed all Spanish-language reality shows on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube, achieving the highest engagement and video views.

Acunmedya is increasing its production capacity and enriching its content portfolio with formats and productions launched in 22 countries across four continents.

Acunmedya stands out with its high production power, producing programs such as Exatlon, Darts Party, Survivor, MasterChef, The Voice and La Isla at ACM Production Hub, the world’s largest and most extensive outdoor studio in the Dominican Republic. It continues to offer its content to the global market with countries such as the USA, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria.

La entrada Acunmedya and Telemundo Celebrate the Successful Premier of La Isla se publicó primero en TTV News.

The producer’s Format Acquisitions Manager spoke to ttvnews about his search for new formats to produce for the CEE region and the international market.

One of the biggest format producers in the CEE region, Acun Medya is now present at Natpe Budapest to find new formats and projects it can add to its ever-growing catalog of successful titles.

“We produce more than 15 titles around the world”, Abdullah Terzioglu, Format Acquisitions Manager at Acun Medya, said to ttvnews at the event.

The producer is known for some of the region’s local editions of the world’s biggest formats, such as Exatlon, Survivor, Masterchef and many others, and is now on the hunt for even more.

“Im here at Natpe to see what’s going on in the CEE markets as we mostly produce for CEE territories. We produce big formats, Survivor, Masterchef… I’m looking for formats, trying to find new ones to be produced for our territories”, he revealed.

La entrada Abdullah Terzioglu, Acun Medya: “We are looking for new formats” se publicó primero en TTV News.

The Turkish group is currently present in Cannes with an array of productions for the international market, most notably from their formats catalog, with the ever-green Exatlon, joined by other jems such as Cash Kitchen, My Style Rocks, Power of Love and Muscles and Brains, which was present at the market.

Always eager to expand their catalog’s presence around the world, Turkish distributor and producer Acun Medya has once again travelled to Cannes for a new edition of Mipcom, where the group is armed with an impressive catalog of titles ready to meet new buyers.

And this has been a busy Mipcom for the company, where they’ve made announcements such as a new local version of MasterChef that they’ll be producing in Germany for Sport1, or the launch of Muscles & Brains, a brand new competition format, launched alongside Talpa Studios, and which stands as just one of many fun titles Acun Medya is presenting buyers in Cannes.

“Our only mission is to make our audiences happy”, summarized Ebru Atasav Tahrancı, CEO of Acun Medya, who spoke to ttvnews about the latest additions to the company’s catalog, the success of its formats, their hopes for the current Mipcom, and more.

Exatlon has been such a huge success: What are the latest achievements that you would like to highlight for the format?

Exatlon will be on air soon in new territories. For us, Exatlon Germany is one of the top priorities these months. We have acquired 50% of Sport1 in Germany. We are very happy to be partners with Highlight Group which we share the same vision, and enthusiasm and our aim is to make Sport1 a sports and entertainment channel and bring it among the leading channels of Germany. We started our programming with Exatlon and we are very happy and excited about it. We hope it will repeat the success and have a big contribution on Sport1 ratings elevation in near future.

You are in a unique position locally with TV8, programming non-scripted titles against the world-known Turkish dramas. How did that strategy develop and what makes it so successful?

When we acquired TV8 nearly ten years ago and decided to turn it into a just entertainment channel, we had the motto that our only mission is to make our audiences happy and we would be the happiest channel of Turkiye. With that mission we chose our way to program only entertainment and reality shows, and we didn’t choose the line of producing dramas as you mentioned there were a lot of channels doing only dramas. And as we grew in that vision, we distinguished more with our specific programming. We are globally producing almost 5000 prime-time hours, so it grows like a snowball itself, with all the formats and creative ideas having a huge environment to grow, in 15 territories and brings us more success I think.

What new formats are you currently presenting at Mipcom 2024?

As always Exatlon is top priority for us, as it is a very strong format that can even change the rank of a television channel in the market. As we produce daily and very long seasons, the success triples.

The Acun Medya activation at Mipcom 2024

We are presenting a new cooking show to the market called Cash Kitchen, which we worked years on, and we believe it will also be very successful. Not only does the format have great elements in it, but it also has a very unique set design and a unique technology of shooting. This is the surprise we are bringing to Mipcom 2024. We also had a great collaboration with our long-time partners Talpa Studios, and we are together presenting Muscles and Brains to Mipcom which we produced in our hub together in the Dominican Republic and soon will be on air in Holland and it’s a project that we are proud of. And last, we want to produce our long-term formats, My Style Rocks and Power of Love, also for new territories and so it’s also one of our priorities in Mipcom 2024.

Are you also distributing comedies, like the ones available in Exxen? Related, what are the expansion plans for the platform?

We are not yet distributing but Exxen is for us a new home of creating new ideas and trying new things which most of them turns out to be great success. At Exxen every season new comedies are born , and grow so we are very happy, waiting for the right moment to introduce them to our global audiences. We are soon planning to expand Exxen to new territories, our priorities are Germany and Greece.

What can we expect from the production and distribution arm of the company after acquiring a 50% stake in Germany’s Sport1?

Our vision for Sport1 is too big, we really dream to make it a leading channel in Germany. We want to write the same success story that we managed in Turkiye. As I mentioned we started with Exatlon and we will have great surprises that we will introduce in Cannes and a great lineup is coming with very important formats to Sport1. To make this happen we will use everything in our power regarding production and creativity and we will produce great programs for Sport1 audience. Like we did ten years ago , we want to make our audience in Sport1 happy, and Hopefully we will witness together how Sport1 grows into a leading channel in Germany in the coming years.

La entrada Acun Medya Unveils the Power of Formats at Mipcom se publicó primero en TTV News.

Local editions of the formats have been ordered by Sport1 in Germany.

Banijay Germany (part of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment) today at Mipcom Cannes announces its entertainment label, Brainpool, will produce MasterChef and Survivor, in partnership with AcunMedya, for German channel SPORT1.

MasterChef is a multi-award-winning cookery format which has been changing lives for decades. Setting out to find the nation’s best amateur cook, the show puts contestant’s culinary skills to the test as they battle it out to become crowned champion. Survivor is the original and best adventure reality format, testing the spirit of people who are marooned, with little more than the clothes on their backs and their own animal cunning. As they catch their own food, build their own shelter and order their own society, castaways must compete in increasingly difficult tests of strategy and guile.

Combining Brainpool’s extensive local expertise, with Acun Medya’s industry leadership, the companies aim to deliver top-tier content that resonates both locally and globally.

Shona Fraser, Managing Director Brainpool: “The Banijay Entertainment library is a wealth of bold, entertaining and highly adaptable formats, which we want German audiences to experience. I am personally a huge fan of both Survivor and MasterChef and am delighted they have found a new home with SPORT1 – we can’t wait to start production with Acun Medya and its incredible team!”

Ebru Atasav Tahranci, Acun Medya Group CEO: “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Brainpool, bringing two powerhouse Banijay Entertainment formats – Survivor and MasterChef – to our channel SPORT1 in Germany. We are delighted for this collaboration that will contribute to SPORT1’s success by delivering exceptional entertainment for our audiences.”

Represented internationally by Banijay Entertainment, MasterChef was created by Franc Roddam and has been commissioned in more than 70 markets. With over 700 seasons aired around the world, MasterChef, is the world’s most successful cookery television format (Guinness World Records).

Created by Charlie Parsons, Survivor is a Banijay-owned format. With 50 adaptations, and over 400 seasons, it is one of the most successful reality formats of all time.

Brainpool, founded in 1994, is a leading production company in Germany. It boasts an impressive slate of titles including TV Total, Schlag den Star (Beat the Host), Die besten Comedians Deutschlands, NightWash and many more…

SPORT1 has been 50 percent owned by Acun Medya since the summer, and is looking for successful entertainment and sports entertainment formats as part of an extensive content offensive.

La entrada Banijay Announces New Sale for MasterChef and Survivor at Mipcom se publicó primero en TTV News.

The show was recorded in the Dominican Republic as part of the creative partnership between Talpa Studios and Acun Medya.

Humans possess two great strengths: physical power and intelligence. But what happens when six exceptionally strong men, the “Muscles”, and six highly intelligent women, the “Brains”, join forces? Are they truly unbeatable? Dutch viewers are about to find out, in the new reality competition Muscles & Brains.

The first episode of this brand-new Talpa Studios production will air on NET5 on the 28th of October.

The show was recorded in the Dominican Republic as part of the creative partnership between Talpa Studios and Acun Medya.

Acun Medya has already sold the format to several of its key territories, with announcements coming soon. All versions will be produced at their ACM production hub in the Dominican Republic.

Acun Medya Group’s CEO, Ebru Atasav Tahrancı, said: “Talpa Studios and Acun Medya have established a long-standing collaboration, built on a shared vision and creativity. We’re excited to take this partnership to the next level. By combining our creative strengths, we are proud to introduce this new format, reflecting our ongoing commitment to innovation and creativity.”

Sebastian van Barneveld, Talpa Studios’ Director Global Distribution, adds: “Co-developed and recorded at Acun Medya’s hub in the Dominican Republic, this groundbreaking strategic reality format combines high-stakes competition with a modern focus on optimizing both body and mind. With thrilling, large-scale challenges, the show delivers a powerful blend of reality entertainment.”

On the show, twelve men and women will live together in a camp in the Dominican Republic, where they’ll have to compete in duos against each other for the grand prize of 100.000 euros. By completing intense physical tasks and solving complicated brainteasers, the muscles and brains must conquer their fellow candidates one by one in revolving duos. The longer the men endure in physical challenges, the more time the women have to solve questions. The strongest man and the smartest woman become the ultimate Muscles & Brains power couple. But this show is not just about beating the competition… A fundamental psychological game is played between the muscles and the brains within the camp, as the search for the ideal partner is a crucial and captivating part of the competition. What strategic alliances are formed? What plots are forged? And who ultimately finds the perfect partner to outlast and outsmart all opponents for that ultimate grand prize?

La entrada Talpa Studios and Acun Medya present reality competition Muscles & Brains at Mipcom se publicó primero en TTV News.

This landmark agreement sees Acunmedya acquiring 50% of the shares in Sport1 GmbH, solidifying a collaboration aimed at reshaping the landscape of entertainment media.

Acunmedya, a leading international media group, is proud to announce its partnership with Sport1 Medien AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highlight Communications AG based in Switzerland.

This landmark agreement sees Acunmedya acquiring 50% of the shares in Sport1 GmbH, solidifying a collaboration aimed at reshaping the landscape of entertainment media.

As part of this strategic alliance, Acunmedya will infuse Sport1 with its innovative and globally renowned entertainment expertise, ushering in a new era of dynamic content creation. By combining Sport1’s established presence with Acunmedya’s creative approach, audiences can expect a fresh and exhilarating viewing experience.

One of the first fruits of this partnership will be the launch of Exatlon on Sport1 in Fall 2024. Exatlon, a wildly successful reality format created by Acunmedya, seamlessly merges sports, reality, and entertainment, captivating audiences across the globe and boosting market shares.

Exatlon, where the contestants face intense physical and strategic challenges, testing their endurance, agility, and mental strength, has aired over 3000 episodes worldwide and is proving it’s success by the ongoing 9th season on Azteca UNO in Mexico and recently aired and completed the 8th season on Telemundo, US Hispanic.

Additionally, the format has been produced for national channels in, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Brazil, Colombia and for Netflix in Türkiye.

Under the visionary leadership of Acun Ilıcalı, Acunmedya Group has consistently demonstrated its prowess in content creation and channel transformation with innovative strategies and localization expertise. From acquiring a 1% share channel TV8 in 2013 and reshaping it in less than a yeartime into number one top television channel in Türkiye to establishing EXXEN in 2021, a premier streaming service featuring exclusively local content, Acunmedya has a proven track record of innovation and success.

Moreover, Acunmedya’s strategic partnerships extend beyond borders, with notable collaborations in Greece and Mexico. In 2016 Acunmedya Group entered the Greek market through its partnership with Skai TV. With the company’s entertainment productions, a former news channel Skai TV performed accelerating success on Greek television history, receiving immense ratings with consecutive number one position on TV ratings that transformed Skai TV into Greece’s one of the leading broadcasters.

Similarly, since numerous years, Acunmedya continues its strategic content partnership with innovative TV Azteca Group in Mexico, with a cross-cultural and shared expertise approach the partners accelerate Mexico’s leading channel Azteca UNO’s prime-time programming with captivating entertainment and reality shows.

With a commitment to delivering high-quality television programs to over 15 countries globally with a track-record of 5000 hours per year, Acunmedya continues to push boundaries and redefine the media landscape. This partnership with Sport1 Medien AG marks another significant milestone in Acunmedya’s journey towards global excellence in entertainment and sports media.

La entrada Acun Medya Announces Strategic Partnership with Spor1 Medien AG se publicó primero en TTV News.

The Turkish drama series will debut in November, but has already been pre-sold to Israel’s Achla TV

AcunMedya will disembark in Cannes for Mipcom 2023 with a powerful presence, both from the splendor of its stand and the depth of its catalogue, that is led by one of its productions, Enemy of Love.

Known for its globally successful formats like Exatlon, Amor en el Aire and many more, AcunMedya is starting to produce TV series.

For Mipcom, the company announced the international distribution of its latest drama series, Enemy of Love, a Turkish drama series, still in production, set to premiere next month.

The series hunts into the complex and arduous journey of love between İnci and Uygar, who, for distinct reasons, deny themselves the very essence of love. As they escape their deepest desires, they transform into individuals who are seemingly uninterested, strict, and even disconnected from their own hearts.

Already securing pre-sales to Israel’s Achla TV LTD., AcunMedya is spearheading the global distribution efforts, with numerous territories still available.

“We are excited to introduce our brand-new drama series and thrilled to push the boundaries of TV production in Türkiye,” says Esat Yontunç, Executive Producer of the show. “Enemy of Love embarks on a fresh and compelling journey of love between İnci and Uygar. We have already solidified pre-sales for this forthcoming series. Despite our extensive experience in the world of television, Turkish drama is a new adventure for us, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

La entrada AcunMedya Takes its Newest Production, Enemy of Love, to Mipcom 2023 se publicó primero en TTV News.