"ITV has a great track record in selling formats and programming into other territories, whether it's Dancing on Ice in Russia, Saturday Night Takeaway in China or the hundreds of millions of people who have seen Prime Suspect worldwide," said Airey.
Tinopolis subsidiary Mentorn, which makes Question Time, has had success selling formats into the US.
The corporation's commercial arm is thriving abroad, selling formats to American broadcasters and launching pay-TV channels.
"The broad-based strength delivered across countries, categories, and selling formats demonstrates the responsiveness of the business to new initiatives.
The issue comes down to a basic difference between eMusic and iTunes: while iTunes places strong digital locks on the content it sells in order to thwart illegal file-sharing, eMusic does not, and uses the freedom of its format as a selling point.
Now I think the broadcasters will tie deals down even more firmly at the point of commission, because they realise you can only sell a format internationally if you've got a primary broadcaster, so the primary broadcaster is going to go after you harder for your rights".
Now I think the broadcasters will tie down even more firmly at the point of commission because they realise you can only sell a format internationally if you've got a primary broadcaster, so the primary broadcaster is going to go after you harder for your rights".
In October 2013, specialist label Sumthing Else Music Works issued the soundtrack in a more widely available CD release while selling a digital format of the previously issued tracks that were featured on the CD that came with collector's editions of the game alongside additional material exclusive to the digital release.
And Endemol has pioneered a system of selling television formats, like "Big Brother," to companies around the world that produce the shows locally.
Syco and ITV Studios are yet to finalise key elements of the co-production deal, including who will take the lead in the potentially lucrative, and prestigious, role of selling the format internationally if it becomes a hit.
