Fremantle join forces with Mark Burnett
FremantleMedia Australia and Mark Burnett’s One Three Television announced today a deal to work together exclusively to produce Burnett’s shows in Australia and New Zealand.
The deal means FremantleMedia has the rights to produce any local versions of Burnett’s programs, including Survivor, The Apprenctice, and Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader? that Australian audiences are already familiar with. Also on Burnett’s roster than Fremantle have access to is Shark Tank – an adaptation of the UK’s Dragon Den – offering bailout for struggling entrepreneurs, and Expedition Impossible – similar to The Amazing Race.
Fremantle will also be the sole production services company for all One Three owned and controlled formats in both Australia and New Zealand.
In a statement, FremantleMedia Australia CEO said, “This is a fantastic development for FremantleMedia Australia. Both FMA and Burnett have a shared DNA for creative excellence and execution. Mark Burnett’s track record speaks for itself. His intuitive ability to tell stories and deliver hit shows time and time again is just extraordinary.”
As our sister site Mumbrella pointed out: The Australian Apprentice on it’s debut in 2009 attracted only 692,000 viewers for Channel Nine. While the American Survivor is considered the most successful reality program of all time, the Australian series launched in 2001 on Nine, beginning strongly before dwindling due to competition with Seven’s The Mole.
