- Tape sales for Married at First Sight Australia secured in the USA, UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand; new seasons of local versions underway in eight countries
Red Arrow Studios International has scored a wave of new tape deals for the Australian version of the hit dating format Married at First Sight, alongside additional international tape sales, local series recommissions and spin-offs.
Produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine Network, Seasons Four to Seven have been sold to Channel 4 (UK) for broadcast on E4. Inspired the huge success of Married at First Sight Australia on E4 this summer – it was the biggest non-scripted show for E4 since 2018 – the UK broadcaster is also super-sizing its own version of the format: Season Six will consist of 20 x 1 hour episodes and will air on E4 in 2021. The UK version of Married at First Sight is produced by CPL Productions.
Other sales of Married at First Sight Australia include to Lifetime (US), which has picked up Season Six, while RTL Netherlands has taken Seasons Four to Seven and Mediaworks (New Zealand) has picked up tapes of Seasons Eight and Nine.
Mediaworks has also taken tapes of Seasons Seven and Eight of the acclaimed US version of Married at First Sight, produced by Red Arrow Studios company Kinetic Content for Lifetime. The US channel has commissioned the series through to Season 17 – one of its largest ever orders – with Season 12 set to premiere in January.
Further tape sales include M6’s (France) acquisition of Seasons Two and Three of Married at First Sight’s Belgian version, produced by Never Ending Story for RTL, and Lifetime Africa, part of A+E Networks pick up of Married at First Sight: Couple’s Cam, the new self-shot spin-off produced by Kinetic Content for Lifetime.
Across Europe, new seasons of local versions are being produced for broadcasters including: M6 in France (Season Five), TVN in Poland (Season Five), Markiza in Slovakia (Season Two), RTL in Croatia (Season Two), RTL in French-speaking Belgium (Season Four) and RTL in the Netherlands (Season Six). SAT.1 has also just launched its seventh season for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and Nova TV has recently debuted its first season in the Czech Republic. In Israel, Keshet has commissioned a further three seasons (Seasons Four to Six).
Tim Gerhartz, SVP Global Sales at Red Arrow Studios International, said: “Married at First Sight continues to be a smash hit around the world, both as a format and a finished tape. These latest deals are testament to the format’s power as a channel-defining brand, as broadcasters with local productions, including Lifetime and Channel 4 look to maximise its value through tape acquisitions and spin-offs.”
Created and produced by Snowman Productions for Denmark, Married at First Sight has become the world’s most watched relationship show and one of the most talked-about and highest-rating formats of the decade. Now produced in 29 countries, it returns season after season in key territories, including the US (Lifetime), UK (Channel 4), Australia (Nine Network) and Germany (SAT.1).