Fremantle has announced the continued global expansion of its supersized comedy entertainment format Holey Moley, with new local commissions confirmed in Germany and France, joining the previously announced UK adaptation. All three productions are produced through Fremantle’s dedicated international Holey Moley production hub in Portugal, providing a scalable model for the format’s worldwide rollout.
In Germany, Prime Video has commissioned Holey Moley – Minigolf Extreme, produced by UFA Show & Factual. The German series will bring together an eclectic cast of Olympic champions, mini-golf world champions, reality TV stars and self-proclaimed armchair pros, all competing on epic courses designed to test their skill, courage and sense of humour.
In France, TF1 has ordered Crazy Mini Golf, produced by Fremantle France and hosted by content creator superstars Mcfly and Carlito, providing commentary as keen amateurs tackle the show’s iconic larger-than-life courses.
In the UK, ITV has commissioned Holey Moley, co-produced by Talkback Thames and Mitre Studios, with presenting duo Ant & Dec at the helm. The series will see top-class professionals, fearless everyday thrill-seekers and a host of famous faces take to the courses.
Ben Crompton, Global Head of Entertainment at Fremantle, said, “I was recently out at our production hub and got to witness just how much fun this show is. Holey Moley is pure entertainment – a brilliantly funny mix of outrageous physical competition, supersized crazy golf, big character players, hilarious hosts and surprises, all wrapped up in a format with a hugely broad appeal. We’re thrilled to be working with such fantastic partners in France, Germany and the UK – the quality of these broadcasters speaks volumes about the strength of the format. Through our production hub in Portugal, we’re able to bring all the scale, spectacle and production value that makes Holey Moley special to a much wider range of markets, while ensuring every local version has its own distinct personality. That’s a really exciting combination.”
Originally created for ABC by Eureka Productions, a Fremantle label, Holey Moley has already proven to be a breakout success internationally. In the US, the series became a summer ratings hit for ABC, regularly ranking as the number one show of the night. In Australia, the format delivered a consolidated audience that more than doubled Channel 7’s primetime average.
The latest commissions further cement the international appeal of this comedic and turbo-charged physical gameshow, whilst also marking a significant milestone for Fremantle’s international production strategy. Filmed at the dedicated Holey Moley production hub in Portimão, Portugal, the format benefits from a centralised production model that provides efficiencies in today’s market, enabling multiple territories to leverage the same world-class courses, infrastructure and expertise while creating distinctly local versions for their audiences.
Fremantle holds the global production and distribution rights for the format outside of the US, originally from ABC and Eureka Productions. Holey Moley is a registered trademark of Funlab IP Co Pty Ltd, used pursuant to a license.
