Reality Bites Resorts World at Sentosa

By ARTHUR SIM

Business Times - 10 Oct 2007

MARK Burnett - creator of reality TV shows like Survivor and The Apprentice - has tied up
with Genting International to produce TV and game shows for the region.

Speaking at a tele-conference yesterday, US- based Mr Burnett, president and founder of Mark Burnett Productions, said that filming for the first show could begin as early as next year.

Based at Resorts World at Sentosa, the firm will use the resort's attractions and facilities for
some of its productions.

A joint-venture company called Mark Burnett Productions Asia (MBPA) will be formed,
with the two partners holding equal equity and investing up to US$20 million together.
The two partners were brought together in June by the Singapore Economic Development
Board (EDB).

Manohar Khiatani, assistant managing director of EDB, said: 'This decision underscores the
attractiveness of Singapore as a location where leading media content owners create and
manage their intellectual property assets.'

He said MBPA would reinforce the government's efforts to build Singapore into an
international media hub.

Mark Burnett International and Genting International will team up on a 10-year exclusive
partnership to develop, produce and distribute reality TV series and game shows for the
region. The partnership covers all of Asia except Japan and the Middle East.

Mr Burnett said: 'We've been doing business in and around Asia since our company was
founded and we've been looking at ways to do more in this massive market.'

Besides producing TV for Asia, MBPA will hold an exclusive licence to produce and
distribute these programmes to multiple media platforms that range from broadcast, the
Internet and mobile television.

The company will also develop original TV shows for Asia that will be licensed for format
productions worldwide.

Mark Burnett Productions has already made forays into other markets. Scot Cru, executive
(international), Mark Burnett Productions, said: 'Having recently launched Mark Burnett
Productions France, this is a natural evolution of our worldwide brand.'

He added: 'The fact that this deal was fast-tracked and took a very short time to negotiate is
evidence of both companies' recognition that it is a partnership that both companies felt was a
no-brainer.'

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.