Keshet International, the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, announced on July 3 the broadcaster of its trailblazing interactive talent show Rising Star in Italy. The show will be produced for Mediaset Canale 5, by Toro (Sony Pictures Entertainment Group).
Eight episodes have been commissioned to air during the 2015 season. The deal follows the consistent performance of Rising Star in Brazil and Portugal, where the show has rated circa 30% average share throughout the series and a successful U.S. debut which saw the premiere become ABC’s highest-rated Summer launch since 2011.
Keshet International has closed deals for Rising Star in more than 25 territories since its launch at MIPCOM 2013, making it the fastest-selling talent format on record. Sales include the U.S. (ABC), UK (ITV), Argentina (Telefe), Brazil (Rede Globo), Spain (Atresmedia), Portugal (TVI), Italy (Toro), France (M6 Group) Russia (Rossiya1), Germany (RTL), the Nordics (Nordisk), Hungary (TV2), Ukraine (1+1), Greece (MEGA), Turkey (Acun Medya) and Indonesia (RCTI). Interest in the format continues to grow worldwide following unprecedented ratings for the show’s original series in Israel, the season finale of which peaked with a 58% share of the total domestic audience.
Rising Star is a trailblazing interactive talent format which hails a new era in home entertainment. It enables the first real-time voting by viewers via an innovative free app “TV app to you” developed by Keshet and Screenz which is fully integrated into the show. Making their debut on stage alone, behind a giant wall of TV screens, a performer can only make his or her entry to the studio by securing more than 70% of the viewers’, judges’ and live audiences’ vote. If the bar is met, the screen (which lights up with the face of each voting viewer in real-time) will slowly rise to expose the hopeful to their new fans and the judging panel. From the very first minute of the very first episode, viewers will play an integral role in every decision made on the show and continue to do so throughout the entire season.
