Australia's Seven Network and Beyond Productions Announce New U.S. Production Business

SYDNEY - Top rating Australian TV broadcaster, the Seven Network, and Beyond Productions have launched a new joint venture aimed at creating programming and formats for the U.S. market.

The venture will be called 7Beyond and has established a Los Angeles office with Michael Krupat, most recently senior vice president of development and branded content at Ryan Seacrest Productions, appointed as svp, development to oversee development and sales of projects.

The Seven Network produces much of its original programming in house through Seven Productions including hit soap Home and Away, reality formats My Kitchen Rules and House Rules, and dramas Packed To The Rafters and A Place to Call Home.

The venture will capitalize on the creation of these formats as well as developing their own programs which will be co-produced by the Seven Productions business and Beyond Productions, and distributed internationally by Beyond Distribution.

Beyond Productions has developed and produces over 5,000 hours of mostly factual programming for US broadcasters, including shows like the U.S. version of Beyond 2000 - Beyond Tomorrow, Taboo, Deadly Women and MythBusters.

Brad Lyons, director of network production for the Seven Network, said the timing was right to take Seven’s production business international.

“This business is expanding dramatically. A key focus for us is taking our ideas and our content further into international markets. This strategy involves partnering with strategic alliances such as this venture with Beyond. Beyond has a fantastic team and we are looking forward to creating great new content with them,” Lyons said.  

John Luscombe, executive vice president and general manager of Beyond Productions added: “Beyond has a great reputation for developing innovative and sustainable formats for the American marketplace. Joining forces with Australia's largest producer and leading free to air network is a great way to expand our long standing production business in the United States.”

FremantleMedia owns a twenty percent stake in Beyond Productions parent company, Beyond International.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HollywoodReporterAsia/~3/2knEzCAC7-g/story01.htm
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