Tag Archive: Annelies Sitvast

  1. Banijay Rights Assembles The Bridge with HBO Max in Hungary

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, today announces a new adaptation of The Bridge, with Hungary the latest country on board, marking the sixth adaptation of the survival reality format.

    HBO Max in Hungary will broadcast a local version of the hit competition series, bringing contestants together to build a 250-metre-long bridge to an island for the chance to win a large cash prize. Isolated in nature, the participants have only 20 days to achieve the task, only using what is around them as building materials. While they build the bridge, they must make alliances, because when they reach the island, a vote will be held to decide who gets the prize, with the chosen participant decides whether to share it.

    Presented by Csaba Magyarósi, The Bridge Hungary is produced locally by Free Monkeys Production. All production took place in the area around Lake Belis in Romania, near the Hungarian border.

    The original format was created in Spain by Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia. The Bridge has recently experienced a resurgence, with a first-series adaptation in the UK in 2021, and Brazil and Australia debuting this year, with Workerbee, Endemol Shine Brazil and Endemol Shine Australia producing respectively.

    Banijay Rights struck multiple deals for the UK version with broadcasters in the Netherlands and across Africa and Latin America. The UK series also aired on HBO Max in the US, Latin America, and Asia.

    The latest agreement was negotiated by Veronique Verges, SVP German Territories, Poland & Hungary, Banijay Rights, who said: “The Bridge is the ultimate reality test for contestants: bringing together real-world challenges, moral dilemmas, and proper competition in a completely isolated environment. After performing so well in territories including the UK, Australia and Brazil, we are thrilled this incredible series will now go on to delight Hungarian viewers.”

    Annelies Sitvast, Head of Unscripted Original Production, HBO Max EMEA, added: “The Bridge is a game of strategy, negotiation, and trust. It’s a unique combination of an adventure format while also questioning fundamental human nature: would you split or steal a life changing sum of money with someone you’ve only recently met? We’ve already seen the format travel to HBO Max in Brazil and can’t wait for audiences in Hungary to watch it.”