Zodiak Television World Latest Licences Agreement

Zodiak Television World, the commercial arm of Zodiak Television AB has announced the latest licenses to be agreed in Brazil and the second season in Indonesia for the prime time entertainment series, 'Stars On Stage', originally devised from subsidiary MTV Mastiff Sweden.
Launched at MIP-TV 2006, Stars On Stage is now moving into production both in the East and Latin America as a result of these latest acquisitions, firstly on ANTV in Indonesia and then on the Record TV Network in Brazil, where the show is scheduled to air in March 2007.
This hit show is also currently successfully airing prime time on TVI in Portugal in Europe, regularly gaining up to a share of 45% - part of the motivation behind the Brazilian deal - and on ANTV in Indonesia in Asia, showing the broad based global appeal of this primetime entertainment talent show.
Licenses for Stars On Stage continue to score well with international audiences. In Indonesia it's first season ran for 14 weeks on Wednesday nights between 8pm and 9pm at commercial broadcaster ANTV, with results showing the series to be the number two show on the network and slot winner of the night in the majority of its transmissions. Following this success, ANTV have just confirmed commission of a second series.
ANTV moves from strength to strength, with Murdoch’s pan-Asian channel Star TV acquiring a 20% stake, promising to turn the network into a major player in the TV sector. Becker Entertainment, the company that produces Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for the same channel and who also delivered another Zodiak format, Perfect Crime for RCTI, produces Stars On Stage.
Then to Portugal, where another deal saw the show begin airing in early October on the number one commercial channel, TVI - again in a Sunday prime time slot, gaining an average 15% rating implying a ground breaking 45% overall share after an initial run of five programmes.
TVI Head of Programs, José Eduardo Moniz commented: "The ratings for Stars On Stage are making history for us; we haven’t seen these numbers for an entertainment show since Big Brother - which was one of the most successful local produced shows over the years."
Heather Stevenson, President of Zodiak Television World commented: "The results that Stars On Stage is achieving in very diverse territories around the world, proves that this is a truly global hit format. I feel confident the format is picking up momentum and its success is building on further success worldwide."
Total licenses for Stars On Stage now cover five territories; Indonesia, Ukraine, Sweden, Portugal, Latin America with three further options on the table in Germany, Middle East, Belarus, Turkey and India.
(DS/SP)