12 May 2025

PRIMITIVES LICENSES 99 TO BEAT TO FOX

US becomes 12th territory to adapt hit Belgian entertainment format!

We have closed our 12th format deal for 99 To Beat. Fox has commissioned a US adaptation of the fast-paced, family-friendly entertainment format, which has been sold around the world since it launched in 2019.

Production on the US version of 99 To Beat is scheduled to start recording in the next month, hosted by comedian and actor Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community) and actress and writer Erin Andrews (Bless the Harts, That’s My Boy). Fox has ordered an initial run of ten episodes, to be produced by Banijay-owned Initial and Znak TV, whose format credentials include Big Brother and Total Wipeout, along with ITV’s hit UK adaptation of 99 To Beat.

Natalka Znak, Claire O’Donohoe, Katy Manley and Lee Smithurst are executive producing, whilst the deal was brokered by Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne, Primitives’ Amsterdam-based director of sales and acquisitions and Initial and Znak TV.
 
Created by Belgian broadcaster VRT and production company De Chinezen, 99 To Beat sees 100 contestants compete against each other in a series of brilliantly bonkers challenges, from boiling an egg to guessing the weight of a llama. The only rule? Don’t come last if you want to walk away with the sizeable cash prize.
 
Equal parts hilarious, tense and unpredictable, 99 To Beat’s appeal to viewers of all ages is confirmed by its growing global footprint. The format, now in its sixth season on VRT, has spawned local versions in 11 territories, including multiple seasons in Germany (Sat.1), the Netherlands (Talpa Network/SBS6), Norway (Warner Bros Discovery) and Italy (RAI2). In late March, a UK adaptation premiered on ITV1. Brazil recently became the first Latin American country to reversion the format (also produced by Boxfish) and a French iteration is also set to launch later this year on M6.
 
Katy Manley, MD Initial, said:
“We are incredibly excited to be making 99 To Beat for Fox. It’s one of the most fun and entertaining shows to produce and we can’t wait to get started.”
 
Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne said: "For an innovative and plucky Belgian format to win a major US deal feels like a David and Goliath moment! We’re obviously delighted, excited and proud — but not surprised, because we’ve always known 99 to Beat is special. It’s one of those rare formats that offers it all, from laugh-out-loud moments to edge-of-seat tension to genuine emotion. With Initial producing, we know the US version of this modern classic will deliver all the excitement and heart that has become the show’s hallmark."