Port Vila, Vanuatu – The highly anticipated premiere of Vanuatu’s first-ever reality TV show, Canoe Race, aired over the weekend on Television Blong Vanuatu (TBV), accompanied by a public screening at the Waterfall area in Port Vila.

The event attracted an audience of approximately 100 guests at the public screening, while nearly 20,000 viewers tuned in via TBV’s Facebook live stream. Canoe Race is a competition-based show that follows aspiring entrepreneurs as they pitch and develop their business ideas, competing for a grand prize of 2 million Vatu.

The show is a collaborative production between V-Lap and VBTC. In the debut episode, contestants presented their business ideas to a panel of judges. By the end of the episode, six out of the nine contestants successfully advanced to the next round of the competition.

Co-producer Mark Antoine of V-Lap expressed gratitude to the show’s sponsors, including the Australian Government and the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, for their support. He also acknowledged VBTC’s partnership in bringing the show to life.

VBTC’s CEO, Francis Herman highlighted that Canoe Race is the first locally produced reality TV show in Vanuatu.

He further stated that VBTC is in discussions with other TV stations across the Pacific to potentially broadcast the show in neighboring countries.