A TV Program format is a license to produce and to broadcast a national version of a copyrighted foreign TV program and to use its name. Formats are a major part of the international television market. Format purchasing is popular with broadcasters, due notably to:
- the large cost savings associated with avoiding the risk of inventing something original;
- the illusion for national audiences of watching a successful local production;
- the potential for the concept behind a certain TV show to be successful if tailored for a particular market.
Common formats
Particular models in the genre of Sitcoms are often sold as formats, enabling broadcasters to adapt them to the perceived tastes of their own audience. An example would be Coupling, the BBC TV series adapted (unsuccessfully) by NBC in 2003. The most common type of format are those in the genre of game shows, many of which are remade in multiple markets with local contestants. In recent years, key examples would include Survivor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Pop Idol and BigBrother that have all proved successful worldwide.
Legal issues
Whilst TV formats are a form of intellectual property which are regularly bought and sold by TV producers, distributors and broadcasters, they are very hard to protect in law. As a result, copy-cat formats are sometimes created, which seek to duplicate the success of an original format without paying the rights-holder of the original format.
