Talpa Studios’ global hit quiz show “The Floor” has reached a major milestone with its 30th international competition.
The latest deal includes a new Middle East and North Africa adaptation to be aired on MBC (spreading across 23 territories and reaching more than 150 million viewers each week) and a groundbreaking first foray into Asia as Nippon Television brings the show to Japan.
These additions follow recent commissions in Eastern Europe and strong launches in key markets such as the United States, Australia and France.
John de Mol, founder of Talpa Studios, said: “Achieving our 30th commission is a milestone that we are very proud of. The inclusion of the MENA region and the first sale in Japan shows the universal strength of this format. In all my years in this industry, this is the first time one of my formats has aired in Japan, so this is a special moment.”
Megumi Kudomichi, Senior Manager of Programming and Platform Strategy at Nippon Television, said, “‘The Floor’ is characterized by dynamic stages and fast-paced gameplay, and has garnered attention around the world as an innovative quiz show with audience participation. I was so inspired by this format that I immediately proposed a Japanese version produced by Nippon Television. We will retain the charm of the original while leveraging our extensive production experience to further enhance it for Japanese audiences.”
Samar Akhluq, Group Director of Production for MBC Group and MBC Studios, added: “This is another example of MBC’s leadership and commitment to bringing world-class formats to the Arab world. ‘The Floor’ joins a long line of successful international formats that we have created and adapted for our audiences.”
Akuluk continued, “Our viewers have always had a strong appetite for game shows, and ‘The Floor’ brings a fresh, dynamic twist to the genre. We’re confident they’ll love it.”
In “The Floor,” 100 quiz enthusiasts compete in a quiz showdown on a giant LED floor divided into 100 equal squares, each representing a unique area of knowledge. The goal is to conquer the entire floor and take home a large amount of prize money. The rules are simple. A random contestant challenges the opponent next to him to a quiz showdown. You will compete in the category of your opponent’s grid. Categories range from “Famous Athletes” to “Hollywood Actors,” “Iconic Buildings” to “Mammals.” Some questions are supported visually by pictures, others by audio, while other duels focus on open questions, multiple choice, and associations. The winner of the duel conquers the opponent’s squares and gains more ground. The loser will be ejected from the game.
More than 15 local versions have already been produced at Talpa Studios’ production base in the Netherlands, with additional locations in the Baltics and Argentina. “This setup is the cornerstone of Talpa Studios’ deployment strategy of scalable and efficient studio-based entertainment shows that leverage on-the-ground expertise and can be adapted to partners around the world,” the company said.
Sebastian van Barneveld, global distribution director at Talpa Studios, said: “The success of ‘The Floor’ shows the strength of the format itself. What our hub model adds is the ability to move faster and work more collaboratively with partners. And that goes beyond ‘The Floor.'” We’re already applying it in formats like “The Quiz With Balls.” Maximize efficiency by producing multiple local versions on one set, allowing partners around the world to scale studio-based entertainment shows together. ”
