Mark Burnett and John de Mol team for NBC singing show

Mark Burnett and John de Mol are joining forces to launch a TV singing competition, The Voice of America, on US network NBC. It is based on the format created by John de Mol’s Talpa. The US version will be produced by Warner Horizons, the cable production unit of Warner Bros. that inked a co-development and production deal with Talpa in February.

The format tasks celebrity artists with forming teams of singers who they mentor through the singing competition. Team members are eliminated until only one is left and they then the surviving members of each team compete in a live final and the winner receives a big-money record contract.

The Voice of Holland has been a big hit in the country where it airs on RTL4. Talpa handles international distribution of the series and it was presented to the TV community at Mipcom.

Talpa confirmed the format has been picked up by VTM in Belgium and told TBIvision that it is negotiating deals for the show in over ten more territories and expects to announce deals in January.

Talpa has production and development deals, along the lines of the one with Warner Horizons, with third-parties in numerous countries including Shine in France and Australia, Nordisk in Scandinavia, CBV in Portugal and Boomerang in Spain.

John de Mol and Burnett will executive produce the US version of the singing show, which will air next spring on NBC.