“The format business is tightening- confirmed Olivia Deane – Research Manager, Ampere Analysis - but that’s exactly why fresh ideas matter more than ever. Long-running franchises still get plenty of attention, yet their pull is weakening as viewers grow tired of seeing the same concepts recycled. Commissioners are being selective, but they’re also watching closely for new formats that feel distinctive, scalable, and capable of surprising an audience that’s harder to impress than it used to be.
What’s driving this shift is a clear change in global taste also being mirrored in the Scripted landscape. Audiences are no longer looking first to Western Europe or North America for their entertainment cues. Viewers are increasingly drawn to formats rooted in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East—regions offering different sensibilities, dynamics, and cultural textures. As a result, Western formats, while still respected, no longer have the automatic advantage they once did, and will need to generate new ideas to compete.” – said Deane.
Let's see in details the report: between the first halves of 2021 and 2025, just 3% of formats generated 25% of all commissions, with the remaining 97%—a staggering 777 formats—collectively filling the remaining three quarters of orders. The format business is increasingly reliant on a narrow cohort of evergreen properties, whose reputations and brand equity continue to secure international adaptation. However, this reliance is showing signs of strain. In the period between H1 2022 and H1 2025, the top ten formats suffered a 29% decline in commissions, a sharper drop than the overall market decline of 22%. This suggests that while legacy franchises still lead in volume, their ability to maintain growth across territories is diminishing.
This means that new formats now play a decisive role in driving international expansion. Four of the ten highest-performing First-Run formats between H2 2023 and H1 2025 were titles released within the past five years. Their success demonstrates that broadcasters and platforms continue to seek innovation—especially when audiences tire of overly familiar propositions. Yet this opportunity is coupled with a counterintuitive trend: commissions of new formats have decreased sharply, down by 35% in H1 2025 compared with H1 2021. In other words, while innovation is highly valued, as commissioners tighten their belts in the face of economic decline, fewer original concepts are being greenlit. For creators, this defines a highly competitive but rewarding environment: those who can deliver a strong, exportable idea face less competition and more demand.
Formats remain a strategic cornerstone for platforms expanding into new markets. Global streamers, in particular, use unscripted IP to accelerate localisation and audience adoption.
Two standout examples illustrate this strategy: Last One Laughing (Amazon), first commissioned in Japan in 2016, has accumulated 64 commissions across 23 countries between H1 2021 and H1 2025. The comedy elimination game, in which comedians attempt to make each other laugh, exemplifies how a culturally rooted concept can thrive globally. Love Is Blind (Netflix), launched in 2020 in the U.S., has been commissioned 35 times in 13 countries during the same period, proving the universal appeal of dating experiments—particularly those challenging traditional norms of attraction.
Across both platforms, these franchises are being commissioned in new territories roughly once every three announcements, highlighting a deliberate strategy: scalable, repeatable formats are being used to build brand consistency and audience loyalty across regions.
The format industry is now defined by three accelerating forces:Blurring of scripted and unscripted IP; Global hits such as Squid Game: The Challenge demonstrate how scripted worlds can extend into reality concepts, opening hybridisation as a new revenue path.
With more commissions outside traditional hubs like the U.S. and UK, non-English originals are poised to become global success stories.
The overreliance on familiar titles may ultimately hurt commissioners, creating an opportunity for creators capable of delivering disruptive ideas.
