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Abstract

This article focuses on the production of transnational TV formats, and argues that a new business model has emerged over recent decades. Whilst many formats are still sold and produced under licence by a third party, leading TV production companies prefer to adapt their own shows in as many markets as possible, a strategy that has led to their internationalization. This article traces back the model's origins and shows how it was pioneered by game-show producers, and adopted by British independent TV production companies and a few European broadcasters, then eventually by several Hollywood studios. This led to the formation of today's 14 international TV production super-groups. This paper then argues that this model emerged in response to the globalization of the intellectual property market that was created by the TV format revolution. It was this revolution that spawned a market for intangibles such as programming concepts and production expertise, which today cross borders as much as finished programmes. This paper shows how the market has expanded a TV format's value chain, and how TV production companies have needed to develop their international capabilities in order to retain control of the chain. An international production network enables them to generate, exploit and protect intellectual property on a global scale.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Journal of Media Business Studies on 16/03/2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/16522354.2012.11073550
Publisher Keywords:	Intellectual property; International TV production; International TV production super-groups; Media globalization; Transnational television; TV formats; Value chain
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs > Sociology & Criminology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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