Following the breakout success of The Search (Sopa de Letras) on Aragón TV, Keshet International (KI) has completed a further licensing deal with The Mediapro Studio that will see a second adaptation of the physical word search puzzle gameshow format The Search commissioned, produced and broadcast in Spain – this time for Canal Sur Televisión in Andalusia.
Originally created by Youngest Media (Money Drop) and KI for Keshet 12, The Search is a high-energy, studio-based game show that transforms the classic word search puzzle into a thrilling television event. Contestants race across a giant LED grid, combining trivia knowledge, quick thinking, and teamwork to uncover hidden answers before time runs out.
Initially adapted locally in Spain for Aragón TV as Sopa de Letras (Alphabet Soup) by The Mediapro Studio last autumn, Spain’s largest and most successful production company has now been commissioned to produce 65×30’ episodes of Sopa de Letras for Canal Sur Televisión, the regional channel owned and operated by Radio y Televisión de Andalucía (RTVA).
The stripped daily show will be hosted by Seville-born actor and TV presenter Antonio Garrido, who will bring his charisma, humor, and experience to a format that is shaping up to be one of Canal Sur’s major bets for this autumn. From Monday to Friday, two pairs of contestants will showcase their knowledge and compete for a jackpot of €10,000, facing fun and dynamic challenges such as the “Quick Soup” and the “Letter Quake” on the vibrant, large-scale grid that is the contestants’ physical playing field. Sopa de Letras is slated to premiere on Monday, October 27th at 2:00 PM on Canal Sur Televisión in a head-to-head battle against Wheel of Fortune.
Kelly Wright, KI’s MD of Distribution, says: “We are thrilled to see The Search gaining momentum in Spain. With a brilliantly simple concept at its core, The Search is a compelling format because it’s so adaptable, as proved by The Mediapro Studio’s Sopa de Letras for Aragón TV, where it’s been a runaway success with three seasons in 12 months, increasing the channel’s share by 39% and creating viewer loyalty. In Belgium, VRT’s Ketnet is launching the first kids’ adaptation, which has generated significant interest with buyers at MIPCOM.”
The Mediapro Studio has already produced three seasons of Sopa de Letras (Alphabet Soup) for Aragón TV in just 12 months, revitalizing its daily schedule and increasing slot average share by +39%. With all 150 episodes of Sopa de Letras hosted by the charismatic presenter and local talent Miki Nadal, this visually striking, interactive, and family-friendly gameshow has achieved this success by blending competitive gameplay with a returning contestant mechanic that builds loyalty. One duo famously survived more than 90 episodes, becoming media sensations in Spain and sparking buzz well beyond Aragón TV, where it generated record highs of 16.4% share.
The first international adaptation of The Search was produced in Uruguay, where KI licensed the format to Canal 4 to produce Sopa de Letras (Alphabet Soup). Strong ratings prompted additional episodes to be ordered, with 70 episodes commissioned to date. Last year, KI licensed the format in Spain to The Mediapro Studio to produce a daily strip for Aragón TV. Since its launch in October 2024, The Mediapro Studio has delivered three seasons and over 150 episodes of Sopa de Letras (Alphabet Soup), consistently improving ratings with each new season. This summer, the global content producer and distributor licensed The Search in Belgium to Free Kings, where VRT’s Ketnet channel commissioned the first children’s adaptation of the format. The first batch of 30×15’ episodes of Lettersoep (Alphabet Soup) is slated to premiere on 3 November, with the remaining portion premiering early in 2026. The format is also under option in the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, the Netherlands and Greece.
