TV investor and distributor, The Story Lab has picked up international distribution rights to format, “The Sound” from China’s Hunan TV. The Story Lab will launch it at next week’s Miptv trade event in Cannes.


“The Sound” is a studio-based entertainment series which sees celebrities compete weekly to showcase their voiceover skills. They face a range of challenges including recreating cherished TV and movie moments. It has aired on Hunan TV’s networks and been a ratings hit.


“(The show) represents the best of Chinese broadcasting,” said Lester Hu, Hunan TV’s head of formats and international business. Both companies said that they see the deal as part of a longer term partnership to develop prime time formats. Dentsu-owned Story Lab also said that its China unit is “working with key local platforms on a number of content opportunities; from original co-development, format distribution and brand partnerships.”


Hunan TV is one of China’s top regional broadcast and film groups with a reputation for original content. It currently has a multi-faceted finance and distribution deal with Lionsgate, signed in 2015. The company has 20 in-house production teams, and through its Biu Project, internal content incubator and pilot production pipeline, last year created over 500 hours of original non-scripted content. Other recent hit shows include physical gameshow, “The Rocking Bridge”; social media short video creation challenge, “Do-Re-Mi: I Love My City”; and crossover singing talent show, “Super-Vocal.”