MARK Burnett - creator of reality TV shows like Survivor and The Apprentice - has tied up with Genting International to produce TV and game shows

MARK Burnett - creator of reality TV shows like Survivor and The Apprentice - has tied up with Genting International to produce TV and game shows for the region.

Speaking at a tele-conference yesterday, US- based Mr Burnett, president and founder of Mark Burnett Productions, said that filming for the first show could begin as early as next year.

Based at Resorts World at Sentosa, the firm will use the resort’s attractions and facilities for some of its productions.

A joint-venture company called Mark Burnett Productions Asia (MBPA) will be formed, with the two partners holding equal equity and investing up to US$20 million together.

The two partners were brought together in June by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Manohar Khiatani, assistant managing director of EDB, said: ‘This decision underscores the attractiveness of Singapore as a location where leading media content owners create and manage their intellectual property assets.’

He said MBPA would reinforce the government’s efforts to build Singapore into an international media hub.

Mark Burnett International and Genting International will team up on a 10-year exclusive partnership to develop, produce and distribute reality TV series and game shows for the region. The partnership covers all of Asia except Japan and the Middle East.

Mr Burnett said: ‘We’ve been doing business in and around Asia since our company was founded and we’ve been looking at ways to do more in this massive market.’

Besides producing TV for Asia, MBPA will hold an exclusive licence to produce and distribute these programmes to multiple media platforms that range from broadcast, the Internet and mobile television.

The company will also develop original TV shows for Asia that will be licensed for format productions worldwide.

Mark Burnett Productions has already made forays into other markets. Scot Cru, executive (international), Mark Burnett Productions, said: ‘Having recently launched Mark Burnett Productions France, this is a natural evolution of our worldwide brand.‘

He added: ‘The fact that this deal was fast-tracked and took a very short time to negotiate is evidence of both companies’ recognition that it is a partnership that both companies felt was a no-brainer.’

Source : Business Times - 10 Oct 2007