Global indie powerhouse ITV Studios has finalized a significant overall agreement with experienced reality television visionaries Karsten Bartholin and Kenneth Kristensen, along with their new venture Banjo Formats, to craft “vibrant, engaging, and commercially viable reality formats with international appeal.”
The announcement was made on October 13 during the opening day of the Mipcom content market in Cannes.
Both Kristensen and Bartholin bring a wealth of experience from their decade-long tenure at Viaplay Group, where they led non-scripted content initiatives. Kristensen held the position of SVP of non-scripted content, while Bartholin was the group head of formats and development. Notable formats developed during their leadership included ITV Studios’ flagship dating sensation “Love Island,” along with other global successes such as “Survivor,” “MasterChef,” and “Paradise Hotel.” They were also instrumental in launching the original format “Buying Blind.”
Bartholin, who co-created and co-owned the award-winning production company Babyfoot, was behind the successful format “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” which ran for two seasons on ABC in the United States and other European networks, along with “Gay Army” for Scandinavia and “Bingo Banko” for Denmark and Germany.
On the other hand, Kristensen is recognized for his role in establishing MTV in the Nordics during his decade-long contract with Viacom Northern Europe, serving as VP of Content and Programming, Comedy and MTV, where he directed commissioning and content strategies.
Mike Beale, Managing Director of the Global Creative Network at ITV Studios, stated: “This new partnership will enable Karsten and Kenneth to leverage their extensive experience in commissioning and developing shows globally to enhance our international format portfolio and create innovative new concepts that will appeal worldwide. Their inventive ideas and proficiency in pitching across markets will immensely aid our pursuit of new intellectual property.”
“We are excited to collaborate with the production and distribution teams at ITV Studios to bring novel formats and intellectual property to fruition,” Kristensen and Bartholin remarked. “We are confident that our informed approach, merging our experiences in both commissioning and development, will yield great success for both organizations.”
