Companies to jointly exploit new ZDF Enterprises gameshow

Independent international distribution company Lineup Industries is partnering with Eccholine, line producers of hit shows including Ninja Warrior and Peking Express, to jointly exploit ZDFE’s family-targeted studio-based gameshow Let the Games Begin, which it sells internationally.

The deal combines Lineup’s distribution outreach and expertise on the show with Eccoline’s production skills to offer premium production values packaged at a lower cost for broadcasters.

Ed Louwerse, co-Founder of Lineup Industries said: “Let the Games Begin has all the ingredients to be a family hit in primetime – lively supersized board games we all know and love, being played by kids against celebrities – and it looks incredibly dynamic on screen. With Eccholine doing what they do best in the studio, we can offer producers and broadcasters incredibly high production values at a competitive cost – everyone wins!”

Luc Van Bergen, Eccholine’s Head of Intl. Sales, said: “I thank Lineup Industries for choosing Eccholine as the line-producer of this project. Let the Games Begin is right in our sweet spot: big and ambitious family entertainment with international potential that we can help to roll out to as many territories as possible worldwide.

Let the Games Begin targets viewers aged from three to 99 and pits a team of celebrities against a competitive team of children in an assortment of well-known board games testing their skill and reaction, action, strategy and sports games, memory tests and more. The show unfolds in several rounds in which the celebrities compete against one, two or three kids but all competitors have to wait until after the grand finale to discover who has been crowned overall winner.

Last year, Lineup Industries signed a distribution agreement with ZDF Enterprises to distribute three of its formats 4 For Family, Quiz Champion and Let the Games Begin (The Game Begins) internationally.