ITV closes in on Rising Star

ITV is expected to land UK rights to Rising Star, marking another key international deal for Keshet International’s buzzy Israeli-originated format.

The commercial broadcaster declined to comment, but is understood to be about to sign a deal for the show.

ITV is well stocked with talent series with The X Factor and Got Talent already in its line-up, but Rising Star is expected to fill the Sunday evening slot being vacated by Dancing on Ice, which is coming to an end in 2015.

It is expected to be a coproduction of Keshet’s UK office, based in London, and ITV Studios, the UK broadcaster’s production wing.

Keshet is expected to formally announce a raft of new deals for the format soon. Today the Israeli company declined to comment.

ITV’s director of television Peter Fincham and Shu Greene, the broadcaster’s director of entertainment, are understood to have been tracking Rising Star and have now moved for the show, which has created waves in the format world and already sold to free-to-air broadcasters including M6 in France and RTL in Germany.

Banijay-owned production company Nordisk has optioned it in the Nordic region and Sony-backed Toro in Italy.

The interactive talent format gives viewers a real-time voting opportunity through a free app integrated into the show. If a performer secures 70% of the viewers and the judges votes, a screen rises in the studio and the person is revealed.