Something Special

What Something Special does

Something Special (주식회사 썸띵스페셜) is a Seoul-based TV format agency founded in 2019 by Jin Woo Hwang and InSoon Kim, positioned as Korea's first dedicated format representation business. The company develops, packages, licenses, and produces television formats for international adaptation, bridging Korean creative producers with global broadcasters and production companies. Its core offering is structured around three integrated services — Format Lab (paper-format development), Distribution (international format licensing and co-production), and Production (full-scale show production) — supported by a proprietary portfolio of approximately 14 formats spanning dating reality, makeover, music game, culinary competition, documentary, and celebrity competition genres.

The business generates revenue primarily through three streams: format licensing and royalties from territorial sales to broadcasters, co-production deals with international partners (including first-look and co-development arrangements), and format development services for producers and production companies. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company distributes formats through direct B2B relationships with global broadcasters and production companies, anchored by active participation in major industry markets including MIPCOM, MIPTV, and BCWW. It holds core-tier partnerships with ITV Studios (UK), Viacom International Studios (first-look deal), Media Ranch (Canada), and MBN (Korea), and has licensed formats to broadcasters in at least eight international territories including the UK, US, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and Japan.

The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with Jin Woo Hwang (former 19-year CJ ENM executive and Chairman of the Korea Format Association) serving as President and InSoon Kim (former head of formats at SBS) as EVP and Head of Content. The business has been supported by recurring KOCCA grants under the Format Lab Fund (2020–2022) and the International Co-Production Fund (2020), reflecting institutional validation of the format agency model. Operating geographies span Asia, North America, and Europe, with a recently expanded footprint into Taiwan (via TAICCA) and Turkey (via TBS).

Name

Something Special

Legal name

(주)썸씽스페셜

Website

https://sspecial.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Something Special is a Seoul-based TV format agency founded in 2019 that develops, licenses, and produces Korean television formats for global broadcasters and production companies, operating across at least eight international territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Format Licensing & Distribution

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Program Format Licensing (Scripted & Unscripted) (MPABANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Co-Production & Distribution Partnerships (Pre-Sales, Output Deals) (MPABANAI)

Keywords

• TV format development
• Format licensing
• International content distribution
• Co-production services
• Television production

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Format Licensing and Royalties: Core revenue stream from licensing Korean TV format rights to international broadcasters and production companies. Generates recurring royalties from format adaptations sold to markets including UK, US, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, Japan, and others.
2. Co-Production Deals: Revenue from co-developing and co-producing formats with international partners. Includes first-look deals and co-creation arrangements with broadcasters and studios.
3. Format Development Services: Revenue from developing new formats in partnership with producers and production companies, including packaging talent, concepts, and production assets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Something Special is Korea's first dedicated TV format agency, operating as a unified platform offering three core services: Format Lab (paper format development), Distribution (international format licensing), and Production (full-scale TV show production). The company develops and licenses a portfolio of proprietary Korean television show formats across scripted and non-scripted genres, including dating, makeover, music, culinary, and competition shows, for adaptation by international broadcasters and production companies.

Product overview

Something Special is a Korean TV format agency operating as a unified platform offering three core services: Format Lab (paper format development), Distribution (international format licensing), and Production (full-scale TV show production). The company develops and distributes a portfolio of proprietary TV show formats across genres including dating reality shows, makeover programs, music game shows, culinary competitions, documentary series, and celebrity competition formats. Formats include 'When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left' (dating), 'Touch of Grey' (makeover), 'Pitchy Perfect' (music game), 'Outlandish' (culinary), 'Battle in the Box' (celebrity competition), 'Still Alive' (spooky game), and various 'Miracle' branded lifestyle formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Format Lab
• Distribution
• Production
• When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left
• Under No Circumstances
• Touch of Grey
• Pitchy Perfect A music game show format based on spotting the odd note out, available for licensing and international adaptation.
• Outlandish A culinary competition show format based on a shiny-floor kitchen concept, available for licensing and international adaptation.
• Not My Day A stand-alone paper format available for licensing and international adaptation, exploring turning back on a bad day.
• Miracle Habits A self-improvement lifestyle format distributed internationally, focused on small habits that change lives over time.
• Miracle Recipe A cooking and recipe-based format distributed internationally, where a chef and a doctor collaborate to create tasty yet healthy dishes.
• Miracle Study An educational study-focused format distributed internationally, structured at 50 minutes per episode across 12 weekly episodes subject to local adaptation.
• Battle in the Box A celebrity competition game show format where contestants compete within confined spaces, licensed to UK-based Interstellar for British market adaptation.
• Still Alive A spooky game show format featuring survival and thriller elements, available for licensing and international adaptation.
• The Great War of Far East Asia A documentary format available for international licensing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Formats licensed to broadcasters in 8+ international markets including UK, US, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, Japan

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ITV StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based production giant with co-development deal for creating new television formats. Represents a flagship partnership for international format development.
• Viacom International StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-look deal for format development, providing priority access to Something Special's format pipeline.
• Media RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian format company engaged in co-development and format distribution partnership, extending reach into North American markets.
• TAICCA (Taiwan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaiwanese government cultural content agency partnership for co-development and co-production of formats.
• MBNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean broadcaster with distribution and production pact, representing a key domestic partnership for format promotion.
• KOCCAcoreOthersKorea Creative Content Agency partnership providing government support through Format Lab Fund and International Co-Production Fund.
• Armoza FormatsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli format company for scripted format acquisition, expanding the portfolio of available formats.
• MY Entertainment ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based production company engaged in unscripted format development for the American market.
• InterstellarminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUK-based company licensing Battle in the Box format for British market adaptation.
• Tresor TVminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGerman broadcaster with format optioning arrangement for European market.
• DiTurnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creation partnership for format development.
• FormatEast/SBSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with FormatEast and SBS for format distribution in Asian markets.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CJ ENM: Korea's largest entertainment conglomerate and Something Special founder Jin Woo Hwang's former employer of 19 years. Develops, produces and globally distributes Korean formats and shows, making it both the deepest source of pipeline and a key competitor in the Korean format export market.
• Fremantle: Global content producer and format distributor (Got Talent, Idol, X Factor) owned by RTL Group. Operates a broad international format licensing and production business directly comparable to the market Something Special addresses.
• Banijay (Endemol Shine): World's largest independent content producer and format licensor, owning the Endemol Shine format library (Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, MasterChef, etc.). A broad incumbent competing in the same international format licensing market that Something Special targets.
• ITV Studios Global Entertainment: UK-based global content producer and format distributor with a large format catalog and international sales operation. While ITV Studios is also a Something Special partner for co-development, it is a much larger broad incumbent in the same format licensing and distribution space.
• Red Arrow Studios: International format development and distribution company (formerly ProSiebenSat.1's content arm) with a portfolio of scripted and unscripted formats sold globally. Operates in the same mid-to-large format agency space as Something Special's competitors.
• All3Media International: UK-based independent television production and distribution group that licenses formats and finished programs globally. Operates in the same international format distribution category that Something Special serves, primarily as a content owner and licensor.
• KBS Media: Format and program distribution arm of Korean public broadcaster KBS. A direct domestic Korean comparable that licenses KBS-produced formats internationally, competing with Something Special for global distribution of Korean IP.
• BBC Studios: Global content production and distribution arm of the BBC, with a large format catalog (Strictly, Top Gear, etc.) actively licensed internationally. Sets the benchmark for the international format distribution tier Something Special sells into.
• MBC C&I: International content sales subsidiary of Korean broadcaster MBC, licensing MBC's format and program library to overseas markets. Direct Korean-market peer in international format distribution.

Direct peers

• Armoza Formats: Israeli format development and distribution company with a portfolio of scripted and unscripted formats licensed worldwide. Closest direct comparable to Something Special as a mid-sized format agency that develops, packages and licenses TV formats internationally. Something Special is also a partner/licensor to Armoza for the Korean market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sspecial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Something Special