The theater competition Let Me on Stage / Laske Mind Lavale, international title Upstage, created by Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) won the competition for international TV formats PITCH & PLAY LIVE! held on June 23-26 at the InterContinental hotel in Budapest as part of NATPE Budapest 2025, the Estonian pubcaster reports.

NATPE Budapest is one of the most significant gathering spots for the TV and streaming industry in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which brings together hundreds of media executives from all over the world. Every year, PITCH & PLAY LIVE! presents the region's most prominent new formats to the attention of buyers and producers, ERR notes in its media release.

A total of 10 original formats participated in this year's PITCH & PLAY LIVE! competition, three of which made it to the final round and the jury decided that Upstagee should be selected as the final winner. The participation of young people, a clear and well-structured format and significant international potential were the main factors recognized in the ERR theater competition.

PITCH & PLAY LIVE! producer Stanislav Kimchev considers that what sets Upstage apart from the other projects is its social impact: 'In addition to discussing theater and culture, this show also explains the importance of never giving up or stop believing in yourself. The gifted young people, who took part in this event gained fresh knowledge, motivation and came out of it with a wealth of experience. The show's impact on society and the development of creativity are the two key elements that drew attention to the format'.

This year, the PITCH & PLAY LIVE! jury consisted of: Ben Packwood, VP of Sales CEE at the British TV and film production company All3Media International, Malwina Kawecka, Head of Licensing and Rights Acquisition at Telewizja Polska (TVP), Avi Armoza, CEO of Israel's largest TV production company Armoza Formats, and Hungarian producer and TV host Barbara Hamori.

The grand prize also included entry to NATPE Global, an international event for the TV and media industry, which will be held in Miami early next year.

The second season of Upstage will be shown on ETV2 in the evenings at 21.00, starting from July 7. Both seasons of the show are available on the streaming platform Jupiter.