At the time we published this article, we had not yet received all
the information for the various MIPCOM listings; therefore, this list is
limited, but it nevertheless offers an initial selection of the extensive
line-up in Cannes.
MIPCOM 2025:
International Content Highlights Across Unscripted (Formats)
Unscripted Formats:
Innovation Meets Nostalgia
The unscripted format
landscape for MIPCOM 2025 demonstrates a clear split between high-concept
competition shows and relationship-based reality programming, with several
distributors betting on scientifically-informed content.
Seven.One Studios
International leads the reality dating evolution
with Match My Ex, where celebrity singles surrender matchmaking control
to their former partners. The distributor extends its Married at First Sight
franchise with two new iterations: The Last Resort features 12
previously married singles, while Married at Second Sight sees couples
get engaged sight unseen before meeting at the altar. These additions
capitalize on the format's proven international appeal across 22 countries.
The company also
presents Play That Song Again, a nostalgia-driven competition from
Herriemakers for RTL Netherlands, where contemporary singers tackle legendary
80s hits from artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, The Race
continues Seven.One's adventure reality strategy, with content creators
competing to reach undisclosed destinations, already renewed for a third season
on ProSiebenSat.1's Joyn platform.
BBC Studios pushes quiz show boundaries with formats grounded in behavioral
science. The Wisdom of the Crowd, from The 1% Club creators Magnum
Productions, tests whether individuals can outperform group intelligence based
on Francis Galton's crowd wisdom theory. Already secured by Mediaset España for
Telecinco, the format represents BBC's strategy of combining entertainment with
scientific principles.
The broadcaster's
counterintuitive approach continues with Nation's Dumbest, the first
television competition where losing equals winning. Celebrities compete to be
eliminated quickly, avoiding the title of nation’s dumbest. The format has
found buyers across Europe, including ProSieben and Joyn in Germany, TF1 in
France, and MTV3 in Finland, suggesting appetite for formats that subvert
traditional competition mechanics.
Warner Bros
International Television Production offers The
Final Circle from Satisfaction for TF1, featuring 50 contestants in a
360-degree arena where advancing means harder questions and a tightening
circle. From WBITVP Netherlands comes Reality Kings on Safari, where
male reality stars trade social media luxury for wilderness survival, building
on the successful Reality Queens franchise.
Japanese broadcaster Nippon
TV debuts three formats from new in-house studio Gyokuro, headed by
Kenichiro Akiyama with plans for 10 annual unscripted developments. Mega
Catch challenges players to catch massive flying objects for cash prizes,
while Secret Little Assistant sees children secretly helping parents at
work, inspired by Nippon's internationally successful Old Enough!
format. Big Bad Bluff transforms classic fairy tales into bluffing
games.
Be-Entertainment has picked up Candid Hearts and Money Talks for global distribution. Bother Belgian formats were created within VTM family.
Investigative and
competition hybrids include Keshet International’s Boom! Heist Mode,
adapting their globally successful safe-cracking format Boom!, which has
found buyers in 22 countries. TGC Global Entertainment presents Code
Red: The Lighthouse from NRK Norway, stranding 10 celebrities on a remote
island with only a lighthouse and radio instructions for survival challenges.
photo: Seven.one Studios Internation Play That Song Again
