A study by Ampere Analysis claims Western Europe is going through a «boom» of unscripted formats with 194 adaptations in the last year.
A study by consulting firm Ampere Analysis highlights the great moment unscripted formats are experiencing in Western Europe, with a record of commissions and adaptations by platforms and broadcasters.
Indeed, when considering the period from September 2019 to September 2020, Ampere found that a total of 194 new format-based shows were commissioned in Western Europe.
The phenomenon also reached a peak in July of this year, with 30 adaptations in that month alone.
According to Ampere, meanwhile, the numbers make it clear that linear broadcasters are the main drivers of the phenomenon. However, OTTs are also beginning to increase their unscripted format commissions.
Globally, in fact, linear channels have commissioned 263 format-based shows in the last year; and streaming platforms commissioned 36.
Yet, more and more streaming platforms are betting on local versions of global formats. And with a presence all over the world, this means that they order several versions of the same show.
As an example, the new talent show Sing On, from Netflix, has three local versions: Spain, Germany and the US, all filmed in the same hub in the United Kingdom.
“Our latest study shows us that Netflix is beginning to invest in unscripted formats on an industrial scale. You are leveraging what is essentially a global studio infrastructure. This means they can make localized copies of their Originals for different territories, keeping costs low,” said Alice Thorpe, analyst at Ampere Analysis.
According to Thorpe, since the strategy is still new, Netflix will take time to see the results, although it has already had more than one success story. An example is the reality dating show Love is Blind, which is now being adapted for Brazil and which has become one of its most popular content.
