ITV Studios to Expand Armoza Formats Into Israeli Production Arm (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comManori Ravindran International EditorAvi Armoza’s 17-year-old company Armoza Formats is becoming the Israeli production arm for ITV Studios, Variety can reveal.The business, which has specialized in global formats, will expand under the new structure to become Armoza Productions.
Meanwhile, Armoza Formats will remain the development hub for new format IP and will continue to serve as the brand used for international distribution.Armoza told Variety that the company’s expansion boils down to “facing the challenges of the new world of television.”“With consolidation and the global streamers, and the fact that often you need to sell worldwide rights, how do you complement [your] income?
It’s raised the importance of being a production company and being part of a production group,” said Armoza. “It’s a natural development and extension that we get into production.” The company will produce all ITV Studios content out of Israel in the future, and is already attached to produce the new season of hit format “Come Dine With Me” for Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11.“[The expansion] will enlarge our connection with the creative team in Israel,” says Armoza. “If we were in the past just an export company, being able to work on the productions with the key creative team in Israel will also support our international development and export efforts.”Set up by Armoza in 2005, Armoza Formats quickly became a known formats player at markets such as Mipcom.
The group’s 100-format catalogue spans everything from reality and entertainment shows to holiday programming and scripted. Its biggest hit in recent years has been “The Four,” which was adapted in the U.S.
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