Why You Love Dutch TV and You Don’t Even Know It!

Six international reality TV hits you (probably) didn’t know came from the Netherlands!

The Dutch do it best when it comes to TV exports. That’s a fact. Even though the US and UK tend to steal the headlines when it comes to popular TV content, the Netherlands has long been a hotbed of creative talent. In fact, you already knew this without knowing it.

Why Did Dutch TV Take Over the World?

Before we show you how Dutch TV took over the world, let’s quickly give you some background on why. Dutch TV culture has traditionally been “pillarised”, according to an academic paper by the University of Groningen’s Berber Hagedoorn.

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Top TV Exports: From the Netherlands to the World

#1 The Voice

The singing show, The Voice, is available in more countries than Big Brother. Originally known as The Voice of Holland when it first aired in 2010, the show has been running for 22 seasons in the US, 12 in Ukraine, and 10 in Turkey. Overall, it’s a hit in 64 countries.

#2 Big Brother

First shown on Veronica in the Netherlands back in 1999, Big Brother is now a global behemoth. Syndicated to 57 countries, including the US, UK, India, Australia, and Brazil, the show is a major Dutch export. According to Starcom, Big Brother accounted for 23% of Channel 4’s £664 million UK revenue in 2007.

#3 Deal or No Deal

Originally known as Miljoenenjacht (Hunt/Chase for Millions) in the Netherlands, Deal or No Deal has been shown in 13 countries. The UK version has become the most popular since 2000, with 13 seasons airing on Channel 4, closely followed by 11 recommissions in the US, Australia and Bulgaria.

#4 Fear Factor

You might think that Fear Factor is most popular in the US due to the fact it was hosted by Joe Rogan, but you’d be wrong. This show has actually been recommissioned more times in India. The fear-inducing game show has been exported to 26 countries since 2001.

#5 The Bus

This show might have only been syndicated to five countries since 2000, but it's in a varied collection of countries. From its original home in the Netherlands, the reality show about people living on a luxury bus has been shown in Spain, Estonia, the Benelux region, and Brazil.

#6 Dating in the Dark

Would you date someone you met in a dark room? Well, viewers in the UK, US, Brazil, and Australia have wanted to know the answer to that question since 2009.

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Dutch Exports Around the World: What Are the Longest Running Hits?

The Voice may be available in more countries than Big Brother, but it’s not quite surpassed its closest competitor in the longevity stakes. According to our data, Big Brother has been running for 24 seasons in the US, compared to 22 seasons of The Voice.

Big Brother: The Most Watched Shows and Longest Season

Big Brother took Endemol from a local production company to an international icon in the TV industry. The global viewing figures prove this. Taking into account the average number of viewers per season, the international viewership of Big Brother is over 600 million, but that’s not the only significant stat.

Longest and Shortest Seasons of Big Brother

The longest-running season was aired in Germany. Big Brother Germany 5 started on March 2, 2004, and ended when Sascha Sirtl won on March 1, 2005. The shortest season so far lasted just four days when it aired in Spain from April 12 to 15, 2019.

Where is Big Brother Most Popular?

Perhaps the most interesting Big Brother stat is the breakdown of where it’s most popular. It’s been recommissioned 24 times in the US, which is more than any other country it’s shown. The total viewership is also higher than other countries at 168.45 million. However, the highest viewership for a single season in the US was 9 million back in 2000. The highest viewing figures for a single season actually come from Argentina. The total viewership in Argentina is 163.7 million, and the fourth season attracted an average of 28.2 million viewers. That’s more than 50% of Argentina’s 45 million population.

Per Capita Viewing Figures

Two other countries that outperform the US on a per capita basis are Italy and Spain. The highest viewership in Italy is 9.82 million from a population of 59 million (16.6% ). The highest viewership in Spain is 7.81 million from a population of 47 million (16.6%). In contrast, Big Brother’s highest viewership in the US represented just 2.7% of the population.

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Fun Facts You Never Knew About Dutch TV Exports

We know the Netherlands is a force in global TV. We know that hit shows like Big Brother, The Voice, and Deal or No Deal have entertained millions of people around the world.

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Big Brother

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France

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Big Brother

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India

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Big Brother

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Nederland

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Big Brother

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Brazil

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Deal or No Deal

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United Kingdom

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Deal or No Deal

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United Kingdom

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Big Brother

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United States

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Fear Factor

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Fear Factor

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Fear Factor

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Big Brother

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World Wide

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The Voice

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Methodology

In defining the influence of Dutch TV shows, we collected data from a variety of sources, including IMDb and Wikipedia. Information from reviews, official TV data and viewership ratings were also collected for six shows: Big Brother, Fear Factor, The Voice, Deal or No Deal, Dating in the Dark and The Bus. This information was collated and compared to find the most successful Dutch television exports and spin-off shows.

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