Talpa media acquires stake in successful russian producer mir reality
Today Moscow based TV producer Mir Reality and John de Mol's company Talpa Media announce the acquisition of a minority stake in the successful Russian production company by Talpa Media. Talpa is the first outside shareholder in Mir, the company in which Vladimir Utin and Simon Tucker hold the majority of the shares.
Mir specializes in making local versions of international hit formats. Last year, through its exclusive first look deal with BBC Worldwide, Mir made the first foreign language version of 'Top Gear'.
Talpa Media owner John de Mol comments on the deal with Mir: "Next to the fact that Russia is the biggest country in the world, it's also Europe's fastest-growing media market. For us the stake in Mir is a great way to establish a partnership with a top producer who already proves how to adapt BBC and other international formats to the Russian taste."
Creative Director, Simon Tucker, adds: "This is a brilliant opportunity for us to work closely with John de Mol, a proven hit maker, and his creative team. With Talpa John has created a very rich catalogue in a short space of time and we are looking forward to making local versions of international successes such as ‘Dating In The Dark' and ‘I Love My Country'."
Mir Reality was set up in 2006 by Vladimir Utin, MD of Amber Films, a highly successful commercials production company based in Moscow and UK TV Exec Simon Tucker - 'I'm A Celebrity...', 'Survivor', 'Pop Idol'. Mir is well known for its local versions of international success formats like 'Faking It', 'Dragon's Den', 'Beauty and the Geek' - as well as original daytime formats such as ‘Zvany Ushin' and ‘Davay Poprobuem'. The 700th episode of ‘Zvany Ushin' is recently shot. The 1 PM daily show is in its 8th season and peaks at a 20% market share.
For 2010, Talpa Media's catalogue include appealing formats like: ‘The Golden Cage', ‘Dating in the Dark', ‘Viper's Nest', ‘Pretty Smart', ‘M/F', ‘Guesstimation', ‘I Love My Country', ‘Divided' and ‘Know Your Nation'. (Descriptions on: http://www.talpa.tv/formats/all)
In the past six months Talpa Media set up co-operation deals with local partners active in the TV markets of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.