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Tag: BBC Studios

  • BBC Studios takes 25% minority stake in unscripted indie Mothership Productions

    BBC Studios takes 25% minority stake in unscripted indie Mothership Productions

    Mumbai: BBC Studios has taken a minority stake of 25 per cent in unscripted indie Mothership Productions set up by former Channel 4 deputy director of programmes, Kelly Webb-Lamb.

    The strategic partnership will see BBC Studios invest in Mothership’s slate of global formats and ideas of scale across the unscripted genres, which will complement the output of BBC Studios’ existing portfolio of in-house and indie labels. Under the terms of the deal, BBC Studios will have first look global distribution and format rights.

    On announcing the partnership, Mothership Productions’ founder Kelly Webb-Lamb said, “The whole Mothership team is delighted to be partnering with BBC Studios and to be joining a brilliant stable of invested indies. We’ve been so impressed with the Studios team and are really looking forward to working with them. And for some of us, this feels rather like coming home… you can take the girl out of the BBC, but she never forgets her staff number, and although this is a totally different kind of arrangement, I am super glad that this is where Mothership has ended up in terms of partnership.”

    BBC Studios Productions CEO Ralph Lee said, “Kelly is a highly sought-after creative leader who has assembled a team around her that has a formidable pedigree in hit shows and formats in a highly competitive field. It is a true testament to their talent and potential that within only a short period of time, Mothership has developed a slate that is brimming with ideas that we believe will appeal to both UK and international broadcasters and platforms. We can’t wait to have Kelly and the Mothership team join the BBC Studios family and look forward to a productive partnership.”

    Webb-Lamm launched Mothership earlier this month with the intention of making “some properly great, entertaining, warm and witty programmes.” She has assembled a senior team of female executives to support the business comprising Charlotte Desai (creative director), Gilly Greenslade (director of programmes), and Gudren Claire (head of production).

    Across Webb-Lamb’s career, she has been involved in creating, selling, producing and commissioning a multitude of unscripted shows on UK television, including The Apprentice, Great British Bake Off, Hunted, The Island with Bear Grylls, Mary Queen of Charity Shops and The Circle. In her final year at Channel 4, Webb-Lamb drove and landed the Black to Front Project – the most radical diversity programme in the channel’s history.

    BBC Studios’ deal with Mothership builds on its existing indie investments, which includes full ownership of five scripted labels: Lookout Point (Gentleman Jack & Happy Valley 3), Baby Cow Productions (Chivalry & The Witchfinder), House Productions (Sherwood & Life After Life), Clerkenwell Films (The Birth of Daniel F Harris) and Sid Gentle Films (Killing Eve & Ragdoll) as well as minority investments in a further six: Moonage, Various Artists Limited, Expectation Entertainment, Curve Media, Firebird Pictures and Boffola Pictures (a Lookout Point investment). The company also represents hundreds of other independent production companies through first-look and distribution deals and returned more than £180 million to the UK independent production sector in 2021/2022 in development funding, rights investment and royalties.

  • BBC Studios inks content partnership with BookMyShow Stream

    BBC Studios inks content partnership with BookMyShow Stream

    Mumbai: BookMyShow Stream, the video on-demand (TVoD) service, announced an exclusive content partnership with BBC Studios India. This inaugural partnership will see the launch of a BBC first: a dedicated branded space in the form of a widget on BookMyShow Stream, enhancing its portfolio with a dose of premium, bold, and British drama. Pre-bookings for these coveted titles are now live on BookMyShow Stream.

    Sherwood: It was launched to over six million viewers on the BBC (seven-day consolidated) and has been hailed by critics as one of television’s greatest dramas of recent years. The drama, which follows a tense and heart-wrenching investigation into two shocking and unexpected killings that shatter an already fractured community, is award-winning playwright and dramatist James Graham’s most personal work, having been inspired, in part, by real events that occurred in the Nottinghamshire mining village in which he grew up.

    Ragdoll: A gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller, Ragdoll captures the fascinating but flawed friends struggling with the consequences of institutionalisation and trauma. Starring Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Thalissa Teixeira, and Lucy Hale, Ragdoll is executive produced and commissioned by AMC and UKTV’s Alibi, and executive produced by Sid Gentle Films with Freddy Syborn as lead writer and executive producer.

    Unforgotten Season 1: This crime drama focuses on a cold case reopened after 39 years. When the body of a young man is discovered in a derelict building, DCI Cassie Stuart-one of the Met’s smartest detectives-is called in to investigate. There are four suspects, each with a secret to hide. As their lies unravel, the people they love most begin to wonder what else they might be capable of. Unforgotten brings together one of the most accomplished acting ensembles seen on British television in years. The multi-award-winning cast includes Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bernard Hill, Trevor Eve, Ruth Sheen, Golden Globe and Bafta-winner Tom Courtenay, and Bafta-winner Gemma Jones.

    BookMyShow Stream will feature other titles, including Smother (seasons 1-2), Traces (seasons 1-2), The Chelsea Detective, Happy Valley (seasons 1-2) and Unforgotten (seasons 1-4) on its platform over the next two quarters.

    BBC Studios’ VP for distribution in South Asia Stanley Fernandes said, “BBC Studios is known for its premium content that is backed by powerful storytelling and the ability to connect with a global audience. We are constantly looking at innovative ways to complement the evolving consumption habits of our audiences and are delighted to embark on this new partnership with BookMyShow Stream to reach new audiences in the dynamic and vibrant streaming landscape of India.”

    BookMyShow COO-cinemas Ashish Saksena said, “The TVOD space is gaining traction as more and more entertainment enthusiasts are imbibing the culture of ‘Pay for what you want to watch’, rather than having multiple subscriptions. With BBC Studios taking cognizance of the mammoth opportunity this category holds, we are excited to see this exclusive partnership scale it further. We are thrilled to bring coveted BBC Studios titles into the BookMyShow Stream fold, furthering our aspiration to bring compelling international content to Indian audiences. The BBC First widget on our platform will attract audiences gunning for purposeful content, bringing the best of British content to India. Through this strategic partnership, we aim to take our entertainment quotient a notch higher and offer an unmatched viewing experience to our consumers.”

    Fans can ‘rent’ or ‘buy’ on the BBC First dedicated branded space in the form of a widget on BookMyShow Stream. Entertainment enthusiasts can avail a 50 per cent discount offer on Sherwood, Ragdoll, and Unforgotten (season 1) for a limited two-week period on the platform.

    With over 2,000 titles available since its launch in February 2021, BookMyShow Stream features a handpicked, specially curated library of content from around the world and India that users can rent or buy and watch. The platform uses over two decades of BookMyShow’s user understanding and data insights to focus on personalised content discovery with access to a selection of on-demand content from across the world.

  • Authenticity drives brand affinity for Gen Z: BBC Studios study

    Authenticity drives brand affinity for Gen Z: BBC Studios study

    Mumbai : BBC Studios has released a new study titled “Brands, News and Gen Z,” focused on revealing the preferences and motives of a new generation with purchase power, making it easier for advertisers to target an emerging, commercially receptive segment. The study offers advertisers deeper insight into what motivates Gen Z, how this generation engages with the news and what influences their decision-making process for purchases.

    The study shows that despite growing up in a digital, filtered and increasingly volatile world, Gen Z are grounded, self-assured, ambitious and steadfast in their values, which align most closely with those of the boomer generation while incorporating the sensibilities of younger generations.

    Authenticity, as defined by Gen Z, is about honesty, originality, trust, and quality. For Gen Z, brands aren’t just an expression of what they like; they’re an expression of what they value. They are more inclined to consume brands that are authentic, as they come closer to representing their values, beliefs, and sense of community. The research found that 80 per cent of India’s Gen Z respondents said that authenticity plays an influential role in their choice of brands. If a brand is genuine, Indian Gen Z are more likely to be loyal to it (81 per cent), recommend it to others (78 per cent), and purchase their products and services again (73 percent).

    The research found that globally, Gen Z is more likely to trust the content of media platforms that they find authentic. This preference for authenticity also extends to where Gen Z obtains their information, with only 18 per cent of them being inspired by someone they follow on social media. Despite growing up in a digital world, Gen Z believes social media has created pressure to ‘present’, ‘perform’ and ‘perfect’, making it much harder to be authentic. In order to be authentic, Indian Gen Z respondents agree that it is crucial for news publishers to provide readers with a 360-degree perspective (64 per cent), give a platform to people whose voices are trusted (63 per cent), and publish fact-checked stories (61 per cent).

    When a news media brand is trusted and perceived as authentic, Indian Gen Z prefers to engage with advertising and branded content presented by that news media brand. 60 per cent of the Gen Z respondents in India said they try out the brand they see on the authentic news media brand, and even more, 73 per cent engage further with other content that the news media brand produces or reports on.

    BBC News APAC SVP commercial development Alistair McEwan said, “This research is particularly prominent in India, where the results show increased importance placed on authenticity by Gen Z compared to the rest of the world. We are always striving to learn more about the composition of our audience and the Gen Z cohort is an important emerging segment, and this research highlights that there are many similarities with older cohorts. These insights will help brands better understand the nuances of marketing to Gen Z and assist in creating effective policy settings and appropriate messaging.”

    Aspirations in life for Gen Z are being successful, being authentic (true to yourself) and being content. The study found the Indian Gen Z to be the most ‘driven’ cohort among all in terms of their ambition to ‘be successful’ in life. The most popular definitions of authenticity among global Gen Z are embracing who you truly are (44 per cent), and remaining honest in all circumstances (40 per cent).

    ‘Being a good friend’ is rated highly as being one’s authentic self by Indian Gen Z, and 58 per cent consider their career to be an important aspect of their life. Being successful is very important for Indian Gen Z, which is much more important than the global average, 49 per cent vs. 29 per cent.

  • BBC Studios’ flagship content and customer event BBC Showcase relocates to London

    BBC Studios’ flagship content and customer event BBC Showcase relocates to London

    Mumbai: BBC Studios has announced that its flagship content and customer event “BBC Showcase” will return as an in-person experience in 2023 with a fresh focus on upstream creative projects from across its range of production houses, labels and partners.

    Taking place on 27-28 February, BBC Studios’ “Showcase” will relocate to London following nine years in Liverpool.

    BBC Studios CEO global distribution Rebecca Glashow said, “As the market, and our own business changes, so does “Showcase.” Expect to see our offer to customers evolve from a content juggernaut to a series of highly curated match-making opportunities that brings our most valued partners, producers and programmes together so the richest conversations can take place.”

    BBC Studios Productions CEO Ralph Lee said, “Reconnecting with customers for those early co-pro and pre-sales conversations was invaluable to our producers at the recent natural history, science and docs days and we’re looking forward to doing the same thing, across the whole range of our content at “Showcase.”’

    The “BBC’s Showcase” began its life in the Old Ship in Brighton in 1976 when 25 European buyers squeezed into the old seafront hotel to watch classic BBC shows like Fawlty Towers, The Good Life and Doctor Who. During the 1980s, the event moved around Sussex, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Bristol, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Harrogate before returning to Brighton and then, in 2012, finding a new home at Liverpool’s ACC. The last two “Showcases” were virtual.

    Alongside the new look “Showcase,” BBC Studios will maximise its global network of local experts, from L.A. to Beijing, to bring content to customers in ways and times that best suit them throughout the year.

    Of “Showcase’s” association with Liverpool, director content sales Louise McNab said, ‘We owe all at the ACC and the city of Liverpool a huge debt of gratitude for hosting us for many memorable years. The welcome we received was unparalleled and we had some wonderful times that will live long in the memory. I’d like to thank everyone involved for the part they played.’

    The BBC Studios’ international production and formats teams will also be at “BBC Showcase” and will present their newest slate of launches to global partners, sharing fresh ideas and key successes from around the world.

    Further details about BBC Studios “Showcase” will be announced in the forthcoming months.

  • BBC Studios builds commercial income, witnesses high sales growth

    BBC Studios builds commercial income, witnesses high sales growth

    Mumbai: UK pubcaster and BBC’s principal commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios has announced results for the year 2021-22. It recorded its highest-ever sales (2020/21: 1,255 million pound), a jump of 30 per cent thanks to what it called a very healthy year for production and UKTV. 

    BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell said, “Last year was stellar for BBC Studios, thanks to continued strong demand for our brands like Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars, Time, Bluey, and the Planet series. Our creative and financial success is clear for all to see and I am so proud of our teams across the world who worked so hard to achieve this in extremely challenging conditions. With new freedom to invest, and a new commercial board, now is the time for the business to step up a gear. Despite an uncertain economic climate, we’re hugely confident about the opportunities ahead: and while this investment in future growth might impact on our profits over the short term, we know that we are building a business which can play a more significant role in the future of the BBC.”

    Profit (Ebitda) was up 50 per cent year-on-year to 226 million pound (2020/21: 151 million pound). This marks the first time that the business has exceeded 200 million pound. A 135 million pound cash dividend (2020/21: nil) goes back to the BBC. Production sales were up by 56 per cent. Content sales were over 400 million pound. UKTV profit was up 105 per cent. 2400 hours of content were made in the fiscal. Furthermore, a quarter of that content was created for third parties. The pay gap report shows progress in reducing gender pay disparity.

    “Looking ahead, the business has stretching targets to grow by 30 per cent. With these results, and new headroom in the business’ ability to borrow opening up opportunities to invest, BBC Studios has said that it is in a strong position to build commercial income in line with BBC Group priorities. Returns more than doubled to 353 million pound (2020/21: 137 million pound), as the business achieved its target of 1.2 billion pound over the first five years of the current charter, helped by strong cash generation and a dividend of 135 million pound. Investment in what it called high quality content was up 67 per cent year on year,” the company said in a statement.

    It said, “This performance was driven by a rise in production sales, which were up 56 per cent, with a quarter of all new commissions from third parties. With 2400 hours of content made worldwide, BBC Studios was the most awarded UK producer, with 288 nominations and 55 awards for creativity and craft in the year, including multiple awards for Rose and Giovanni’s silent dance as part of their winning performance on Strictly Come Dancing.”

    UKTV also had a record year, with profit (Ebitda) up 105 per cent as the advertising market bounced back to boost revenues, and thanks to increased audience share (and share of commercial impacts) at record levels. The channel performed very well with drama, gold and alibi increasing their share by 11 per cent, seven per cent and five per cent, respectively, in the 2021 calendar year, and dave upping its share of 16-34 year olds by 14 per cent as audiences responded enthusiastically to investment in new original content, while streaming service UKTV Play added one million registered users.

    The company said, “Content sales were strong at over 400 million pound, thanks to key brands like Doctor Who and Top Gear, unscripted landmarks The Universe and Green Planet, alongside hits from our indie partners including The North Water, This is Going To Hurt and The Outlaws.”

    BBC Studios continued to transform, welcoming global news, kids & family and scripted label house, maker of hit drama Sherwood, to its production business to drive opportunities for global customers. In the year, BBC Studios as part of the BBC, committed to science based net zero targets, signed the climate content pledge, plus 98 per cent of BBC Studios’ UK productions received albert certification.

    BBC Studios also published recently its annual pay gap report, with details of pay gaps for gender, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+ employees broken down by career level band, as well as global analysis for the first time. The majority of career level bands show median pay gaps of within +/- 5 per cent, while the overall median gender pay gap is now below 10 per cent. In entry level roles (career level band A), new schemes to increase diversity are impacting some pay gap metrics, but this is important work for improving diversity across the business.

    Fussell added, “We’re amongst the most transparent in the media sector for pay gap disclosures, with breakdowns for gender, disability, ethnicity and LGBTQ+ across all levels of the business, as well as new data this year for our global staff. While there is much to be proud of as our gender pay gap continues to fall, inevitably these figures paint a picture of a work-in-progress, especially where we are investing in the talent of the future. We know there is work to do to achieve the equality we seek across the board, and we will work tirelessly to make this happen.”

  • BBC News is the no.1 online news brand in India, reveals IPSOS

    BBC News is the no.1 online news brand in India, reveals IPSOS

    Mumbai: According to the Ipsos Affluent survey, BBC News is the number one online news brand consumed daily in India. The data also reveals that on mobile, BBC News online is the number one international news brand and on television BBC World News is the top international news channel in India.

    The survey also showed the outstanding performance for BBC News among leaders in business and technology as the number one online news brand accessed in India including IT purchase influencers, C-Suites, business decision makers, frequent leisure travellers – domestic and international, sustainability minded consumers and automobile enthusiasts.

    The survey further showed that BBC News is the number one international online news brand in APAC10 and the #1 international online news brand in Hong Kong11.

    Excited about this accomplishment, BBC Studios director-sales South Asia Vishal Bhatnagar said, “These fantastic results speak for themselves, BBC News’ leading position in the Indian market demonstrates the audiences’ preference of impartial, accurate and factual journalism. Recently published Reuters Digital News Report 2022 also ranks BBC News as the third most popular online news brand accessed weekly in India. Through this level of engagement and trust in audiences we look forward to offering more impactful campaigns to brands advertising on our platforms.”

  • BBC Studios partners with Vuulr to list over 3,000 hours of British content in Asia

    BBC Studios partners with Vuulr to list over 3,000 hours of British content in Asia

    MUMBAI: Vuulr, an online content marketplace for film & TV has announced that BBC Studios has signed an agreement to list over 3,000 hours of its premium British content on the Vuulr marketplace.

    BBC Studios’ library of documentary, comedy, factual entertainment and lifestyle content will be immediately made available for licensing to customers in Asia, featuring titles like Top Gear, Death In Paradise, Call The Midwife, Attenborough and the Sea Dragon and The Young Offenders.

    Additionally, BBC Studios has commissioned a BBC Studios branded content sales platform from Vuulr at bbcstudios.vuulr.com. This BBC Studios Branded Sales Platform (BSP) will allow interested buyers to search the catalogue, watch trailers and screeners on-demand, check rights availability and place licensing offers easily and conveniently.

    All 7,000 buyers already registered with Vuulr will be able to login to BBC Studio’s BSP with their Vuulr credentials. New buyers will only need to do a quick registration to gain full access to the platform.

    “The entertainment industry is fast evolving, and we need to expand the ways to showcase our extensive content catalogue to capture customers that we can’t always reach. Working with Vuulr enables us to reach out and connect with buyers across the diverse Asia and South Asia regions, bringing our bold British premium content to new audiences” BBC Studios senior VP & GM Asia Phil Hardman said.

    “BBC Studios is well known for producing some of the most engaging and premium British programming, with many iconic and much-loved titles. We are incredibly excited to be working with BBC Studios and to present their amazing catalogue on Vuulr,” Vuulr CEO Ian McKee said.

  • There is a high demand for scripted content on OTT platforms currently: Sameer Gogate

    There is a high demand for scripted content on OTT platforms currently: Sameer Gogate

    Mumbai: BBC Studios, the production arm of BBC group, has emerged as the preferred partner for over-the-top (OTT) platforms to create premium shows. It has partnered with OTT platform Zee5 for its latest release The Broken News directed by Vinay Waikul and starring Sonali Bendre, Jaideep Ahlawat and Shriya Pilgaonkar. “The demand for scripted content on OTT platforms is extremely high right now and we’ve been servicing that demand,” remarks BBC Studios general manager Sameer Gogate.

    BBC Studios has gotten off to a strong start to the year with its Disney+ Hotstar series Rudra: The Edge of Darkness marking Ajay Devgn’s OTT debut. Now, it is backing Sonali Bendre’s OTT debut with The Broken News. The studio first partnered with Zee5 for the Telugu-language thriller Gaalivaana directed by Sharan Koppisetty and starring Sai Kumar and Radhika Sarathkumar. The studio will continue its association with Zee5 by building its slate of Hindi originals across genres.

    In terms of new projects, the studio is working with Amazon Prime Video for an unnamed project and Voot for Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan season four which has begun filming. It is also expecting the release of Hotstar Special Criminal Justice season three in the coming months.

    “We’ve got a fairly busy slate this year and there are a few more projects I can’t announce yet because the OTT platform would like to announce it first,” says Gogate. He reveals that the studio is working on another project with Disney Star.

    After a silent period in the TV production space, the studio is returning to work on a upcoming dance reality show. While the studio is mostly working on OTT projects, Gogate expects this trend could change in the next couple of years.  

    The Broken News is based on a UK series called Press, created and written by Mike Bartlett. While the original show was written for print media, BBC Studios India adapted the format for the broadcast news industry. “The show (The Broken News) highlights the role of the news producer who is the earpiece of the news editor. There’s a lot of work that went into the writing in terms of visiting news studios, meeting with anchors and catching up with news reports. The story is a reflection of what’s happening in society and thankfully when we pitched it to Zee5, they took it up right away,” recalls Gogate.

    In the past, BBC has created the shows What The Love Netflix and Sons of the Soil for Prime Video. It has also worked on Out of Love seasons one and two for Disney+ Hotstar. As subscription driven streamers increase investments in original content in India, they’re on the lookout for production partners who can deliver premium shows that can help them differentiate from the clutter.

    “By virtue of being a studio with a strong lineage and brand, we’ve been able to put up big productions that have been successful,” says Gogate. “I’m fortunate to have an experienced team that can mount big shows and handle that pressure which helps me sell more content to OTT platforms.”

    Gogate is keen to work with all the subscription OTT platforms in the country including players like SonyLIV, Netflix, HBO Max and Lionsgate Play.

  • BBC Studios inks content deal with MX Player

    BBC Studios inks content deal with MX Player

    Mumbai: BBC Studios has announced a new content deal with MX Player on Thursday. As a part of this alliance, BBC’s award-winning British dramas will be available on MX Player catering to audiences in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Pakistan. 

    Popular titles such as “The Watch” and “Critical” will be available on the platform to strengthen its content portfolio, said the statement.

    “BBC Studios has a track record of attracting viewers with a discerning eye for premium content through its powerful storytelling that has the ability to resonate with a global audience,” said BBC Studios’ VP for distribution South Asia Stanley Fernandes. “We are glad to embark on this partnership with MX Player and together, I am confident we will bring our bold British content to more audiences within India and beyond.”

    “Our vision has always been to entertain India, the way India wants,” said MX Player SVP and head – content acquisitions and alliances Mansi Shrivastav. “Adding International shows to our library, dubbed in local Indian languages is our attempt at democratising content for our large and diverse audience base. We’re delighted to partner with BBC Studios that will see their compelling British narratives being added to our rich catalogue of shows and we look forward to expanding this slate further in the near future.”

  • BBC Studios strengthens digital news team with new appointments

    BBC Studios strengthens digital news team with new appointments

    Mumbai: BBC Studios has announced a number of new roles aimed at further bolstering its digital news team. As a part of this expansion, News Corp SVP and global head of product Jennie Baird is brought on board to a newly created position of EVP and MD of digital news and streaming. 

    In this new role, Baird will lead on the development of the vision and investment plans needed to continue driving growth and audiences for the BBC’s digital news products around the globe. She will report to BBC Studios Americas president Rebecca Glashow, who is responsible for developing and commercialising the BBC’s digital news portfolio outside of the UK. 

    Baird will also assume responsibility for the BBC’s recently launched documentary and podcast services – BBC Select and BBC Podcasts, which are available to audiences in the US and Canada, said the statement.

    “Jennie is a digital heavyweight in the constantly evolving news media landscape,” said Glashow. “As record audiences turn to the BBC for news they can trust, the creation of this role and her appointment reflect our ambitions to further reinforce our global news team and double down on our commitment to providing a world-leading digital offering.”

    During her tenure at News Corp, Baird was responsible for developing digital solutions for News Corp’s range of media companies including Dow Jones, News UK, News Corp Australia, New York Post, Storyful, Realtor.com, Foxtel and HarperCollins Publishers. 

    “I am thrilled to be joining an organisation whose very name is synonymous with quality,” stated Baird on her new role. “At a moment in time when impartial, accurate, and trusted information is more essential than ever, I look forward to helping grow the digital reach of BBC News outside the UK, and to exploring innovative ways the BBC might better serve global news consumers.”