Bake Off to rise in the US

Hit UK format The Great British Bake Off has been sold to CBS, which will air a local version of the cooking show.

Bake Off (WT) will air on the US broadcast network next year.

The show, in which amateur bakers face an array of baking challenges, is made by Love Productions, the UK indie set up by Richard McKerrow, a former commissioning editor at Channel 4.

Love Productions USA will make the CBS version of the series and McKerrow will executive produce.

BBC Worldwide distributes the format internationally, but not in the US and Love cut the deal with CBS itself.

The show has been a huge hit for BBC Two in the UK, with the finale delivering a 25.3% audience share.

Its success is expected to see it transfer to the UK public broadcaster’s flagship channel BBC One next year.

BBC Worldwide has already been sold into Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.