NATPE Budapest, the most prominent global TV market focused on the CEE and EMEA regions, taking place June 24 to 27 at the InterContinental Hotel and CEETV, the leading professional source on television in Central and Eastern Europe, are proud to announce the three finalists for the eighth edition of PITCH & PLAY LIVE! The format pitching contest is one of the main highlights of NATPE Budapest, continuing the tradition of finding the best formats from the CEE region with the biggest potential to travel internationally.

Following a close vote, the 3 finalists of the competition showcasing the region’s best new original format concepts with international potential this year are: CELEBRITY TEACHER (Siyah Sekiz Medya, TURKEY); CHEF TALENT (Salt&Pepper, BULGARIA) and LOVE ALWAYS WINS (TV3 Group, ESTONIA). The three formats will be presented live by their creators during the PITCH & PLAY LIVE! session on Tuesday, June 25 at 15:00 CET. The jury, consisting of AVI ARMOZA, CEO Armoza Formats; BEN PACKWOOD, VP Sales CEE at All3Media International, and NICK CHRISTOFOROU, CCO Antenna Group, will evaluate the presentations of the creators and the international potential of the formats and vote for the winner of the competition.

This year PITCH & PLAY LIVE's Top 3 formats were selected among 7 new original formats from Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey, based on three categories with a potential combined score of 75 points. The formats were evaluated by a selection committee which this year included Agnes Mbye, Senior Sales Manager Formats, Passion Distribution; Vasha Wallace, EVP Global Acquisitions and Development; Amos Newman, CEO Amos Neumann Consulting; Jen Fitzgerald, General Producer, NATPE; and Georgi R. Chakarov, CEO and President, TVBIZZ Group.

Following the vote, the competing formats were ranked as follows: CELEBRITY TEACHER - 63, CHEF TALENT - 59, LOVE ALWAYS WINS - 54, CATCH AND SNATCH - 53, MEME OVER & ONE HUNDRED EURO JOKE – both 48, SUPER INFLUENCER - 42.