TV formats company Empress Way begins operations
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 20 March 2019

With the mission of pioneering a new collaborative development model, entertainment-formats company Empress Way has launched under the direction of leading development and talent executive Poppy Delbridge.

Based in central London, the new company claims to have pioneered a collaborative format-creation model. Delbridge — who most recently served as the first-ever head of entertainment development at Warner Bros’ Wall to Wall, during which time which set up and managed the UK producer’s entertainment division — says that she will harness her commercial and creative networks to develop and package new ideas for global broadcasters, streaming platforms and brands.

The Empress Way’s business model is built on selling packaged format ideas, with high-profile talent and production companies attached, to global broadcasters, streamers, digital platforms and brands, with particular emphasis on the UK and the US markets. It says it will partner to produce on-screen content, originating and optioning formats to form an entire ‘IP package’, from securing commissions, sourcing what it believes is the best on-screen and production talent to bringing concepts to global screens.

Delbridge’s credits include UK-originated formats 8 Out of 10 Cats, Sweat The Small Stuff, Would I Lie To You and the early Charlie Brooker shows and went on to include major US shows including Ellen DeGeneres’ Game of Games and Little Big Shots, which she helped reversion for the UK market. She says she will bring her experience and skills to producers to reshape and develop new formats.

“There are lots of brilliant indies out there and, listening to the market, it was clear we didn’t need another one,” Delbridge remarked. “What was also clear is that great ideas, top talent and gifted production companies don’t come together by magic. Getting a show off the ground is hard work — so much so that a lot of potentially great formats die before they’re born. Our new model aims to solve that. It’s also about playing to strengths. I concentrate on mine — ideas, talent relationships and sales — which frees up producers to focus on producing. We’re confident the result will be format packages that are un-turndownable.”