NBCUniversal International Television Production


RTL stays stable as FremantleMedia dips

A stronger advertising market in Germany and digital growth helped keep RTL Group’s top line more or less stable for the first quarter, though production unit FremantleMedia wobbled. Revenues were down slightly from €1.313 billion (US$1.49 billion) to €1.308 billion, with a higher sales at RTL Deutschland being offset by lower revenue at France’s M6 […]

ITV’s Downton Abbey shutting down

UK broadcaster ITV is to end its cash-spinning period drama Downton Abbey after its sixth season. The Julian Fellowes-penned show has been a boon for ITV, America’s PBS and producer Carnival Films, which jointly made the announcement yesterday, and is the most-watched UK drama of the past decade. Soapy Downton follows the lives of an […]

NBCU inks Thorne duo development deal

NBCUniversal has signed a one-year first-look deal with UK writing duo Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton. NBCU International Television Production’s deal runs through Keeble and Appleton’s indie 87 Films and encompasses their writing and producing capabilities. NBCUITVP’s executive VP, scripted programming JoAnn Alfano will oversee the agreement and develop 87’s scripts for the US, UK […]

NBCUniversal hires for factual development team

NBCUniversal International Television Production has finalised the shape of the factual development unit that former Fever Media co-founder David Mortimer leads. Jack Burgess, another ex-Fever exec whom TBI revealed had joined NBCU last year, will lead factual entertainment development alongside Ben Riley, who is a former BBC Format Entertainment, MTV and Endemol exec; while heading […]

NBCU takes full ownership of Matchbox

NBCUniversal International Television Production has taken full ownership of Australian producer Matchbox Pictures. NBCUITP acquired a majority stake in Matchbox in 2011 and has now moved to bring the entirety of the prodco into its fold. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. NBCUITP’s production assets include Carnival Films, Monkey Kingdom, Lucky Giant and […]

NBCU hires international scripted boss

NBCUniversal International Television Production has hired JoAnn Alfano as executive VP, scripted programming. Alfano will be based in LA and run the international scripted business overseeing development and production at NBCU-backed prodcos Carnival, Lucky Giant and Matchbox Pictures. She will also work with Working Title Television and Lark Productions, both of which NBCU has production […]

Oppenheimer to helm Carnival US push

NBCUniversal International has handed Deborah Oppenheimer a new role that will see her helm a push to fully establish Downton Abbey producer Carnival Films in the US. Oppenheimer is currently in charge of NBCUI Television Production’s LA operations, working across prodcos including Carnival, which is producing NBC’s Dracula. She has also worked on series such […]

NBCU hires Fever development boss

The former head of development at UK indie Fever Media has joined his old boss David Mortimer at NBCUniversal International’s television production division. TBI has learned that Jack Burgess has joined NBCUI Television Production. The move reunites him with Mortimer, who in April exited Fever – the company he launched in 2006 with the late Richard […]