During the intense week at MIA (Rome, OCtober 19-23, 2026), Formatbiz met Jihie Kim - Head of Global Sales & IP Development, NEXTKEY and we asked a couple of questions after the panel held at the event.
Until now, the exchange between Korea and Italy has mostly been through K-dramas. We believe Korean entertainment formats are next. Blockbuster hits like Physical: 100 and Culinary Class Wars have already traveled the world. We’d love for Italian audiences to discover K-formats in many more ways, and we hope Betting on Fact, which we introduced at MIA, can be one of the first steps.
The response at MIA was genuinely hot. People kept coming up to us after the showcase to ask about the format. We were already in talks with an Italian partner before MIA. We can’t share the name yet because it’s still confidential. But the interest we felt in Rome makes us very optimistic, and we truly believe it will lead to good results.
Are there any specific titles you are looking to launch in Italy, and if so, which ones?
Our focus for Italy is Betting on Fact, the format we presented at MIA. It is a reality news game show in which players judge whether news stories are true or fake and bet points called “Fact Coins” on their answers. It aired as a Wavve Original, won the Excellence Award at the FOX K-Format Showcase, and Season 2 is confirmed.
Our focus for Italy is Betting on Fact, the format we presented at MIA. It is a reality news game show in which players judge whether news stories are true or fake and bet points called “Fact Coins” on their answers. It aired as a Wavve Original, won the Excellence Award at the FOX K-Format Showcase, and Season 2 is confirmed.
K-content already has a strong and passionate fan base in Italy. Do you believe that Korean content can reach Italian audiences exclusively through streaming platforms such as Netflix, which already offers a wide range of Korean dramas and entertainment shows, or do you see opportunities for K-content on traditional broadcasters and other platforms as well?
Drama isn’t our area of expertise, but for entertainment formats, we believe localization is essential. Streaming platforms have built a passionate K-content fan base in Italy, and that matters. Unscripted shows, however, connect most deeply when they reflect local culture.
Betting on Fact shows why. Because the format is built on news, it requires a real understanding of local issues, social concerns, and culture. Turning the problem of fake news into a game is a fresh and exciting concept that works anywhere. The news content and the cast, though, must be localized. That is why we believe local remakes are the answer.
The most fun moment in the show is when a player realizes they’ve been fooled by a story they wanted to believe. For Italian viewers to feel that moment, the stories have to be theirs: their headlines, their debates, their faces on screen. That’s why we’d love to see an Italian team make Betting on Fact truly Italian.
