CANNES: Star India has bought the rights of Endemol's reality format The Match at the ongoing MIPTV.
Endemol and Star will produce The Cricket Match, a desi version of The Match, which aired in the UK on Sky One and revolved around soccer.
The Match entails a squad of interactively voted and chosen celebrities from all walks of life trained to combat a real life sports team. The two teams clash after a week of extensive training, and the winning team walks away with a cash prize that can be given away to a charity of their choice.
Ulrika Jonsson, Mark Durden-Smith and former England manager Graham Taylor hosted the week long-tournament ending in the Celebs versus Pros final on 10 October 2004 at St James' Park Newcastle.
The Match comprises a 90-minute live launch programme, followed by six one-hour live prime time shows. The week's event culminates with the big match telecast live. Throughout the week of the show, there is up to 18 hours a day of live streaming of all the action, injuries and squad gossip from the celebrity camp.
The Endemol produced The Match that aired on Sky One in the UK in October 2004, had 18 football-crazy celebrities entering Newcastle United's state-of-the-art Football Academy, where they lived and trained under the watchful eye of former England manager Graham Taylor. Hosted by Ulrika Jonsson and Mark Durden-Smith, Sky One cameras captured every minute over seven days as the squad trained and disciplined in all aspects of fitness, focus and skill.
Interactive voting decided who made the squad for The Match held on 10 October - a live, interactive, charity game against a 'Legends XI', comprising some of the most famous names in footballing history, marshalled by Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle United manager.
Every night, Graham Taylor nominated three celebrities who didn't pull their weight to face an interactive public vote, the celebrity with the fewest votes being relegated from the team.
The team was finally selected from the remaining squad to play against the 'Legends XI', at Newcastle United's stadium, St James' Park. The live match event was produced by Sky Sports for Sky One using up-to-the-minute technology and unusual camera angles.
The winning team stands to receive a cash prize for the charity of its choice as well as playing for glory, pride and the prestigious The Match trophy.
Meanwhile, in another development, Endemol International has sold Big Brother back to its creator John de Mol. Talpa TV, the new broadcaster in the Netherlands owned by De Mol, will give the blockbuster format a 100-day run soon after it goes on air in August. Paul Romer, responsible for the format's record-breaking debut series in the Netherlands in 1999, will be producer for this fifth series in Holland.
