Canada’s Sphere restructures Sienna, BGM & GO Films into single entity

Bruno Dubé

Canadian producer & distributor Sphere has restructured its business, bringing companies including Sienna Films and BGM (formerly Bristow Global Media) together under a single brand.

Jennifer Kawaja-led Sienna and BGM, which is headed by Marlo Miazga, will combine with Josée Vallée’s GO Films to become Sphere Media, which will oversee the creation, production and distribution of all TV content.

Quebec-based Sphere acquired BGM and Sienna in 2020, while GO Films was picked up in 2018.

The group is also creating an animation division, made up of Jacques Bilodeau’s Oasis Animation and Sardine Productions, which is led by Ghislain Cyr. WaZabi Films Anick Poirier and Lorne Price, which distributes features, will become Sphere Films.

Sphere’s slate incudes dramas such as Transplant and Cardinal, alongside French-language scripted offerings such as Les Honorables.

The group is also behind factual shows such as Haunted Hospitals, as well as gameshows and kids shows, including TVOKids commission Riley’s Rocket.

Bruno Dubé, Sphere’s president & CEO, said: “Whether we are working with our in-house creators or collaborating with partners, what drives us at Sphere is getting ideas off the ground, telling stories and finding the right audiences to tell them to. They say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts — Sphere is looking forward to showing the world how true that is.”

Sphere emerged from Groupe Télé-Vision, which became Datsit Studios in 2012. It subsequently merged with ORBI-XXI in 2016.