TCB co-founders Heaney & Subhani launch new sales & financing firm

TCB Media Rights co-founders Paul Heaney and Dina Subhani are returning to the content business with a new distribution and financing venture.

BossaNova will bring together producers and buyers in what the duo have termed an “integrated hub”, with the company working closely with producers to pair ideas with broadcasters and streamers.

Heaney and Subhani will use their network of international buyers built up over 35 years in media and distribution businesses to create opportunities, with BossaNova also looking to finance and co-produce content.

Heaney said: “Obviously, we are a distributor but the term does not now wholly fit the role. These days it’s all about co-productions and collaboration in the most collegiate way possible. We will not succeed without buy-in from both sides of the industry and we intend to make this work for them and for all.”

Subhani added: “Call BossaNova what you will — distributor, agent, development platform, financier — but we believe this creative-finance model is what’s needed in today’s fast-moving world. We have listened to both producers and buyers so are confident we know what’s important to both, we hope we’re right.”

Return to the financing fold

Heaney and Subhani previously started commissioning projects while at TCB, becoming one of the first factual-focused distributors to hire a commissioning editor in 2018 with the appointment of former BBC Studios exec Hannah Demidowicz.

She drove TCB’s commissioning operation, which saw it financing programming for its own catalogue such as Ice Machines and Hitler’s Supercars. New owner Beyond, however, recently closed down that side of TCB’s operation following its acquisition of the company.

BossaNova’s unveiling comes four months since former CEO Heaney and exec director Subhani left TCB, which was launched in 2012 and grew quickly before being acquired by the now defunct Kew Media Group (KMG) in 2017.

Following KMG’s administration earlier this year, TCB was put up for sale. It then became the subject of a shock $2.6m acquisition by Beyond International in a deal that was opposed by Heaney, who had been looking to buy the company back.

Prior to launching TCB, Heaney was president & MD of Cineflix Rights, which he started in 2002, and before that he had stints at BSkyB and Southern Star.

Subhani was one of the founding directors of TCB and played a key role in the company’s growth and management, overseeing accounts, marketing and financial planning. She began her career in print and airtime sales.

Heaney said: “We want BossaNova to be at the very centre as far as the ideas and shows we work with are concerned. Our intention is to be dynamic and agile with quick and clear decision making.

“Our ambition is to be a significant help to platforms that have specific content needs and producers that need all of the above plus endorsement, experience and co-development of ideas.

“We will be talking to the buying and commissioning communities over the next few weeks and that will be the start of the benefit chain for indies.”

Subhani added: “There’s a lot of uncertainty and fear as we stumble through the wreckage of 2020, but Paul and I have done our due diligence and we see a clear gap in the market.”