MasterChef is heading to Colombo: the Independent Television Network (ITN) will launch MasterChef Sri Lanka in September, delivering a 25-episode season that puts amateur cooks through individual and team challenges in pursuit of a 3 million-rupee cash prize, a new car and the coveted trophy.
The deal, finalised this week between ITN and distributor Banijay Rights, extends the franchise to its 71st territory, underscoring Asia’s continuing appetite for top-tier international formats. “We are proud to mark this globally renowned format’s 71st commission with a tantalising new version in Sri Lanka,” said Rashmi Bajpai, Banijay Rights’ executive VP for Asia.
“This nation’s rich culinary heritage will be perfectly showcased by our partners at ITN.” ITN chairman Priyantha Wedamulla called the project “a new chapter in Sri Lankan television history” and pledged to deliver it “with the quality and excellence our viewers expect.”
Reality TV Production (Pvt) Ltd and filmmaker Nilendra Deshapriya will produce the local edition, which begins a nationwide talent search next month. Contestants will be judged by a panel of leading chefs and critics still to be announced, with filming scheduled in Colombo and regional centres aimed at reflecting the island’s diverse cuisines.
Created in Britain in 1990, MasterChef has generated more than 16 000 episodes across 71 markets and remains listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s most successful cookery-format franchise. Recent Asian launches in Vietnam, Malaysia and now Sri Lanka demonstrate Banijay’s strategy of pairing global IP with emerging advertising markets.
The series lands as Sri Lanka seeks to revive its broadcast sector after a bruising economic crisis. The World Bank projects national growth of 4.4 per cent this year following four straight quarters of expansion, although the IMF warns the economy “remains vulnerable” pending completion of a $22.5 billion debt restructure. Industry analysts say a prime-time tent-pole could boost advertising spend, but caution that licensing costs may strain cash-strapped broadcasters.
Culinary leaders are broadly supportive. Celebrated chef Dharshan Munidasa has argued that Sri Lanka’s “incredible ingredients” deserve wider exposure—sentiments echoed by tourism officials who view a globally recognisable brand as free promotion for the island’s food culture. Whether the local edition can match the ratings power of Australia or India will be tested when home cooks step into the ITN kitchen this autumn.
