London-based Time Out is partnering with Monaco and Finland-based film and TV production company, Pig & Horse Productions, to co-develop a slate of innovative unscripted formats.
The collaboration, revealed ahead of Mipcom, is aimed at creating new, globally scalable entertainment series, combining social-first production with TV formats to make content reflecting global urban culture and real-world experiences.
The pilot marks Time Out’s first foray into testing original, branded series production and creating original entertainment formats for audiences around the world. It is in addition to and complementing Time Out’s existing digital channels – including website, newsletters, social media, video and podcasts – for its global monthly brand audience of 224 million.
The initial pilot includes two culturally-rooted formats designed for audiences across both digital and linear platforms.
The first in development is a chef challenge format; a culinary competition where two rising chefs face off inside Time Out Market, the editorially curated food and cultural market, with locations across the globe.
Also in development is a street music talent show where singers, rappers, and performers audition in front of a live crowd in London for the chance to perform in a night showcase event alongside surprise guest stars. The format is social-first, built for today’s TikTok and Instagram generation.
Pig & Horse Productions will also collaborate with strategic partner and founder of UpToLevel Media, Anssi Rimpelä to develop the formats. Rimpelä has produced and directed major talent search formats in the Nordics for Fremantle, including Popstars, Idols, Got Talent, and The X Factor and has a long-term working partnership with Pig & Horse.
Rob Biagioni, Time Out Media CEO, says, “We are incredibly excited to embark on this partnership with Pig & Horse Productions. It allows us to develop and test innovative unscripted content, celebrate local talents, and offer fresh formats that resonate with our brand partners and advertising clients. Both food and music are central to what Time Out audiences love, with these new formats offering us the opportunity to further solidify Time Out’s unmatched status as the ‘Best Of the City’ and connect with new audiences through new channels.”
Pig & Horse Productions, which launched earlier this year, has continued to expand its slate of documentaries and non-scripted TV formats for global distribution, which includes the recently announced Europe’s K-Pop Odyssey. The unscripted slate includes the high-end doc Reflections of Gaugin (80’) which is currently in production.
Salla Kozma, Executive Producer and Founder of Pig & Horse says, “Partnering with Time Out on a pilot for original unscripted formats allows us to bring authentic, city-driven stories to audiences in a way that feels both immediate and immersive. These formats celebrate culture, creativity, and ambition, with the right brand partner that is committed and engaged. We can’t wait to take them global.”
Pippa Considine
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