First version of the hit franchise to come from Africa will be produced by global multi-platform media company World of Wonder, and premiere exclusively on its owned SVOD WOW Present Plus
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — World of Wonder today announced that SVOD WOW Presents Plus has greenlit “Drag Race South Africa” — the first version of the smash hit format from Africa. The series, which will be produced by World of Wonder, will begin casting in South Africa in 2025 and be made available to fans globally on World of Wonder’s owned and operated SVOD service, WOW Presents Plus.
“Drag Race South Africa” will feature a brand-new cast of queens sashaying on to the mainstage and bringing with them their unique style, talent and culture.
No doubt fans will be delighted with the new international addition, having lobbied hard, ever since seeing BeBe Zahara Benet – who made her African heritage a center point of her drag persona – win season one of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” back in 2009.
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, World of Wonder co-founders said: “We have seen a host of gorgeous, talented queens hailing from across Africa grace the runway over the years, so now it’s time for a unique version from South Africa that includes the incredible talent the continent has to offer. It’s no secret that our mission is to see Drag Race in every continent and country across the world, so this is a huge step in making that a reality.”
The news furthers the global expansion of WOW Presents Plus as the home to all international versions of the “Drag Race” franchise as well as WOW Original series and films. With subscribers in 190 territories worldwide, WOWPP boasts a 31% year over year increase in watch time, and 38% increase in subscribers since the start of 2024. Most recently, WOWPP introduced a linear feed within the app to provide subscribers with a continuous stream of fan-favorite WOW original series, including “Drag Race,” for viewers to tune into on-demand. “Drag Race South Africa” is the third version of the franchise to be greenlit as a WOW Presents Plus global original, following the success of “Drag Race Mexico” season two, which garnered a 40% increase in viewership over S1 and was just renewed for a third season.
About World of Wonder:World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 34 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul’s Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW’s pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Banff’s Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.
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