Shine International, Japanese Conglom Yoshimoto Kogyo Ink Format Deal

Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine International has sealed a development and production pact with Japanese conglom Yoshimoto Kogyo to develop, produce and distribute content for the international market.

Arrangement was unveiled during the NATPE trade show in Miami Monday morning.

The deal will see Shine's U.S. production company Reveille partner with Yoshimoto to create unscripted formats for the U.S. or Japan and reversion them for the other territory.

Shine will distribute the formats internationally.

Yoshimoto Kogyo, a 99- year-old entertainment company headquartered in Tokyo and Osaka, is a key production and talent management company in Japan.

Taken private in 2009 by former Sony chairman Nobuyuki Idei, its shareholders include Japanese broadcasters (Fuji, Nippon, Asahi and Tokyo Broadcasting System and several major ad agencies.

The new partners took wraps off Monday their first joint project, called Spice of Life. Executive produced by Masi Oka (Heroes, Hawaii 5-0), project is a variety/reality show featuring five hosts and a live studio audience.

President of Shine International Chris Grant, Reveille managing director Howard Owens and Aki Yohiro, CEO of Yoshimoto Kogyo subsidiary Yoshimoto Entertainment, also serve as executive producers on the project. It's already been sold to Japanese broadcaster TBS.

Grant said in a statement: "The deal with Yoshimoto brings together two of the most significant companies in the global content space and we hope this deal opens the door to further collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese formats market."