Televisa to remake Sparks’ Ezel

Mexican broadcaster Televisa is to remake hit Turkish drama series  after striking a deal with Sparks Network.

The broadcaster, which is part of the giant Spanish language producer and distributor, has acquired the format rights from the Scandinavian formats company run by Fredrik af Malmborg and member company Somos.

Broadcasters in Georgia and Armenia are also producing local versions of the format but the Televisa deal is one of the most high profile deals involving Turkish drama, which has been on the rise in the last couple of years.

Ezel, which is produced by Ay Yapim, has been sold into over 45 territories including in Hungary (RTL Klub), Greece (Antena), the Middle East (ADTV), Bulgaria, Romania (Kanal D), Croatia (RTL), Serbia (Fox) and Vietnam (VTV). It tells the story of a young man returning from military service that is set up by his friends and fiancée and ends up in prison for 10 years. By faking his own death in prison, he manages to escape and finds out the truth.