Tim Davie


Exclusive: BBC Studios reveals impact of Discovery deal on catch-up rights

BBC Studios has revealed it will still be able to offer first window catch-up rights to its blue chip natural history programming despite its recent $400m SVOD deal with Discovery. The 10-year content deal with Discovery, revealed in April, is effective in all territories outside the UK, Ireland and Greater China, and makes Discovery the […]

BBC Studios signs ‘Hey Duggee’ licencing deal for China

BBC Studios has struck a licencing deal with China’s PPW Sports and Entertainment for animated children’s series Hey Duggee. PPW will act as the agent and licensee for Hey Duggee for mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. PPW will represent the show across multiple rights including merchandise, family entertainment centres, live events, stage shows, […]

Darren Childs to step down as UKTV CEO

UKTV boss Darren Childs is to step down from his role as CEO of the British multichannel broadcaster.  The exec will remain until 1 July while the board explores new leadership options. He is believed to be a top contender for the role of Premier League CEO – a role recently turned down by BBC Studios […]

BBC Studios’ Tim Davie bows out of Premier League top job

BBC Studios boss Tim Davie has bowed out of the top Premier League job. According to the Financial Times, the exec has rejected the role and assured staff that he will be staying on at BBC Studios, weeks ahead of the producer-distributor’s major Showcase event in Liverpool in February. For months, Davie had been in […]

Tim Davie: BBC’s distribution is going through “radical change”

BBC Studios CEO Tim Davie said that the company’s distribution business is going through a “radical change” during a MIPCOM keynote, where he explained the decision behind bringing the BBC’s production and distribution arm together earlier this year. Davie noted during the conference that the aim of the merger is to bring British, high-end, editorialised […]

BBC Studios takes 100% control of Lookout Point

BBC Studios has increased its stake in indie scripted studio Lookout Point to 100%, in line with an option agreed in 2016. Following completion, Lookout Point will continue to be led by joint CEOs, Simon Vaughan and Faith Penhale, and will operate independently. Tim Davie, CEO, BBC Studios, said: “Increasing our investment enables us to […]

A newly unified BBC Studios looks to China

BBC Studios, which has officially merged its production and commercial arms today, is looking for production opportunities in China. Executive producer and factual program veteran Matthew Springford will be based in its Beijing offices and work with Chinese broadcasters and digital platforms to co-develop and co-produce original content and new formats across factual genres. This […]

Worldwide ambitions open the Showcase – BBC content event

BBC Worldwide’s annual four-day programming sales event in Liverpool, England, is a regular trip for 700-plus buyers. TBI looks what the commercial arm of the BBC is planning in 2018 These are momentous times for the BBC, the UK’s public service broadcaster. While it is under constant ideological pressure from some corners of the British […]

BBC merges Studios and Worldwide

UK pubcaster the BBC is merging its production arm, BBC Studios, and commercial division BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) into one entity. The BBC claims the move to plump for one commercial brand – BBC Studios – will bring it “into line with the rest of the industry” in an “increasingly competitive and global market for production […]

BBCWW upbeat despite returns dipping

The BBC’s commercial arm reported a year-on-year increase in sales and profits, but cash returns to the corporation fell for the third consecutive year. Announcing results for the year ending March 31, 2017, BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) said that headline sales were up 3.0% to £1.06 billion (US$1.36 billion) and headline profit was up 17.6% to […]

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