Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS) is entering into a development deal with South Korean formats specialist Something Special.

The pact, announced in tandem with the BCCW content conference currently underway in Seoul, will see the two parties co-develop an unscripted entertainment format, which is expected to be ready in time for launch at MIP London in February. It marks the first unscripted collaboration between the South Korean company, co-founded by president Jin Woo Hwang (pictured), and a Japanese broadcaster.

In June of this year, the broadcaster established an office in Seoul, TBS Korea, with an aim to increase sales, remakes of TBS dramas, and IP co-development opportunities. Moving forward, TBS plans to invest approximately 5 billion yen in content co-development in Korea across various genres, including drama, variety shows and films, as well as K-Pop and other IP.

Something Special, meanwhile, recently struck a format co-development and coproduction deal with U.S. prodco Critical Content.

“One of the purposes of establishing this company is to manage co-development and coproduction projects with Korean creators,” said Jun Fukai, president of TBS Korea, in a statement. “We are very happy to be working with Something Special for our first non-scripted project, as they have an abundance of expertise and experience in the global market. We hope that this collaboration will result in a new entertainment format that can go global.”

“We are very confident that this is a great start of creating the next global hit which will be initiated by Asia,” added executive vice president and head of content at Something Special, Insoon Kim.

The BCCW conference runs until August 29.