CJ E&M ploughing $40m into originals in 2017

South Korea’s CJ Entertainment & Media will invest ₩450 billion Korean (US$39.5 million) into TV programming this year.

The investment in originals will go on programmes for general entertainment channel tvN, music-themed Mnet, movie channels OCN and Channel CGV, multichannel network DIA TV, three Korean pop culture nets, and global nets tvN Movies and tvN Asia.

Meanwhile, CJ E&M’s programming distribution unit reported a 148% increase in sales year-on-year, with Goblin (pictured) and Legend of the Blue Sea singled out as successes.

tvN’s new originals will include Tomorrow With You, Chicago Typewriter and The Dynamic Duo, while Mnet’s include season four of I Can See Your Voice and Show Me the Money.

“With our strategic analysis on the target audience, we will continue to be a pioneer in the media industry, expanding into Southeast Asia, North America and Europe,” a CJ E&M rep said.

The company has scored a number of scripted format deals, and will recently saw Turkey’s Star TV debut a local, Aslan Film-produced remake of revenge story Glass Mask.

Other deals see music mystery format I Can See Your Face going into a second season on Thailand’s Workpoint TV, and Ballandi Multimedia in Italy and Air Productions in France optioning Crazy Market.