FremantleMedia sells more of 'Martha'

FremantleMedia has confirmed further sales for daytime hit, The Martha Stewart Show, adding to its existing 16 worldwide deals.

The Emmy Award-winning show, which airs on NBC in the US, has been newly acquired by new broadcasters in Singapore, Africa, Israel, Turkey, Malaysia and Thailand, with renewal deals in Belgium, Korea, Sweden, New Zealand and the Philippines.

The Martha Stewart Show is already shown by other broadcasters in Portugal, Iceland, Israel, Kenya, Poland, New Zealand and Indonesia.

David Ellender, chief executive, Fremantle said: "Martha is already an integral part of daytime television across the globe, with these further additions cementing her role as everybody's favourite daytime host."

The brainchild of lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, and reality television svengali Mark Burnett, the show includes cooking, entertaining, decorating and craft demos, alongside celebrity interviews.

Following Stewart's release from prison for insider trading in March 2005, the first series was commissioned and Martha began airing in September 2005, with the second following a year later. It was renamed The Martha Stewart Show and was renewed for a third season in 2007-2008 in October last year.

FremantleMedia holds worldwide distribution rights to the show excluding North America, Japan, Australia, and the Arabic-speaking Middle East.