London – South Korea is the latest country to licence the TV format, Dancing with the Stars, from BBC Worldwide. This is BBC Worldwide’s first format sale to South Korea. The licensee is MBC Plus Media – a subsidiary of MBC – which operates multiple pay TV channels in Korea. The show is due to premiere on MBC Dramanet, the number-one rated cable channel in Korea, in early 2011. The sale continues a successful year for Dancing with the Stars in Asia, following the recent sales to Vietman (VTV3) and Indonesia (IVM). IVM plans to broadcast its version in early 2011, and the Vietnamese version debuted on VTV3 this spring. Sony Entertainment Television will shortly be broadcasting series four of the Indian version, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions India. Previously, the show has also successfully launched in China and Japan. Joyce Yeung, SVP & GM Asia for BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution, commented on the deal, saying, “South Korea is a key territory for us, so we’re delighted that MBC Plus Media has picked up this hugely successful format. Korea has a long tradition of dance, and we’re looking forward to seeing their spin on this glamorous, exciting show.” Bum Cho, the head of production center at MBC Plus Media, also welcomed the deal, “Dancing with the Stars has already proved extremely popular in Asia and around the world, so we expect the show to become must-watch TV for viewers of all ages in Korea too. BBC Worldwide is a renowned television distributor, and we’re extremely excited to be working with them on one of their most successful programme brands.” Dancing with the Stars entered the Guinness Book of Records this year as the world’s most successful reality TV format. Licensed to over 35 broadcasters across six continents, the show is an international phenomenon, watched by a global audience of more than 250 million viewers.