Bell & Motion pact for int’l originals slate

Canada’s Bell Media Studios has created a strategic production pact with Motion Content Group to create original shows for international markets.

The pair will develop, fund and produce scripted and unscripted programming across a range of genres, with Bell Media Studios VP and head Nanci MacLean and Motion director of programming Tony Moulsdale leading the charge.

Bell Media Studios is part of Canadian broadcaster Bell Media, which owns ratings-leading commercial network CTV and SVOD service CraveTV among other assets.

Motion in effect replaced GroupM Entertainment earlier this year. As such it is part of advertising company GroupM and its parent, WPP.

Motion has had significant impact on the UK production market, where it has invested in numerous terrestrial television shows, especially for commercial network Channel 5. It also helped finance formats such as Love Island and Wild Things.

“We’re looking forward to working with Motion, a company that has a proven track record of international success,” said MacLean.

“We have a passionate and energetic team at Bell Media and we’re confident that together we will create great content that will work for our business at every level.”

“This partnership shows what’s possible when two established companies, both successful at what they do, take an imaginative approach to building their businesses together,” said Moulsdale.

“This is a commercial and creative venture, which helps meet the demand for premium content – content which we can take in partnership with Bell Media Studios to the international market.”