NZ’s TV3 to launch The X Factor

New Zealand broadcaster TV3 is to launch a local version of talent format The X Factor after striking a deal with FremantleMedia.

The network will launch its own version of the international hit, which was created by Simon Cowell, and it will be produced by FremantleMedia Australia and local producer MediaWorks.

TV3 has also acquired the rights to the US version of the show, which is set to launch next year on Fox, and the Australian version of the show, which is currently in production and will star Natalie Imbruglia and Ronan Keating as hosts.

“We’re thrilled to have secured such a phenomenal show. We know that the talent is out there to make The X Factor a world class entertainment event right here in New Zealand,” says TV3 director of programming Kelly Martin.

The series, which launched in the UK in 2004, has been launched locally in over 20 territories including France, Russia and Spain.