MIPTV round-up: Banijay picks up ‘Alumni Lovers’; FilmRise to shop ‘Z Nation’; 3Cat orders ‘Zenith’

Alumni Lovers (Source: Banijay)

Banijay picks up ‘Alumni Lovers’

Banijay has acquired the format rights to South Korean dating reality show Alumni Lovers.

The deal will see Banijay’s SimpelZodiak and Endemol France represent the format in the Netherlands and France. The series launched on MBC in December and sees invites singletons who share the common bond of graduating from the same school invited to a special dating reunion.

Helen Greatorex, head of format acquisitions at Banijay, said: “Alumni Lovers is a beautifully romantic series, with a distinctive take on the dating genre. Fresh off the back of a successful launch in Korea, we anticipate interest building across the Netherlands and France given this title’s unique approach to the concept of ‘finding love’.”

Z Nation (Source: FilmRise)

FilmRise to shop ‘Z Nation’

FilmRise has acquired digital rights to the SYFY Channel zombie series Z Nation from The Asylum.

The deal gives FilmRise worldwide distribution rights to all five seasons of the horror show for all digital media including ad-supported streaming, digital linear, AVOD, FAST, SVOD, FVOD, TVOD, EST, as well as exclusive airline and ancillary rights.

The show follows a group of survivors as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies and danger at every turn.

Max Einhorn, SVP of acquisitions and co-productions for FilmRise, said: “Zombies and post-apocalyptic worlds continue to captivate audiences around the world. The Z Nation franchise has demonstrated remarkable strength and success, boasting multiple seasons on the SYFY Channel—an acquisition that aligns perfectly with our programming goals.”

Zenith (Source: KO Distribution)

3Cat orders ‘Zenith’

Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat has ordered an adaptation of French-Canadian music competition format Zenith, while Bandicoot in the UK and Eureka Productions in Australia have also optioned the rights for their own markets.

KO Distribution struck the deals for the format, which sees four artists from different generations compete weekly in a 60-minute extravaganza. The format unfolds in front of 100 spectator-judges representing Gen Z, Gen Y, Gen X, and the Boomers.

Yu!-Gi!-Oh! Sevens (Source: Konami)

‘Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens’ heads to Croatia & Slovenia

RTL Croatia and Pro Plus Slovenia have picked up anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens following a deal with Konami Cross Media NY.

The series will debut in Croatia and Slovenia in the second quarter of 2024. MenArt, the company that distributes the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game locally, are also overseeing localization of the series for Croatian and Slovenian audiences.