Comedy Combat, the number one entertainment show in Finland, has been signed up by several new territories around the world. Eccho Rights, the international distributor for the format, announced it has struck deals in China, Vietnam, Bulgaria and Sweden, while a second season has been commissioned in Estonia following a successful debut run on Kanal 2.

In China the format has been licensed to 3C Media, while in Vietnam, Dong Tay Promotion have taken on the format. Both expect to be on air in early 2017.

Meanwhile further options have been signed in Bulgaria and Sweden demonstrating the format's strong appeal across different cultures. Earlier this year a localised version was a huge hit on Kanal 2 in Estonia, with a second season already due to begin in October, while the Finnish original has been the number one show on MTV3 since it debuted in 2010, regularly scoring a 60% share.

"The clever format allows the comedy characters that are developed to resonate in a fantastic way with the sense of humor within a country, making it an almost guaranteed success," says Nicola Söderlund, Managing Partner at Eccho Rights.

The show, which features the best acting and comic talents in the country, is a mix of improv and scripted comedy with a revolving cast of characters, both new and old each week, competing for laughs and a place in the audience's affections. Performed and broadcast live, the winners are determined by a public phone vote.