BBC Studios

BBC Studios has named Zai Bennett as new CEO and Chief Creative Officer for BBC Studios Productions, BBC Studios’ global content-making division. 🤝   Bennett’s remit - that will span the company’s UK and international production units (including the world-renowned Natural History Unit), owned labels and invested indies across its Global Entertainment, Factual, Scripted, Kids & Family and Audio genres - will see him bring a creative-first approach to driving the production business forward.    He will be tasked with building high value, distributable IP, maintaining BBC returning series and key brands, securing new commissions - and expanding BBC Studios’ international format pipeline through development capabilities in existing markets as well as expansion into new territories. Retaining the producer’s position as provider of scale original streamer series, whilst also continuing to be the biggest supplier of content to the corporation, will also play a crucial part in his new role.     He joins from Sky where he is currently Managing Director of Content and will take the reins of the UK’s most awarded production company, with BBC Studios Productions responsible for seven of the top 10 performing shows in the UK across 2023.    At Sky, Bennett is principally responsible for its portfolio of entertainment services such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max, Sky’s premium brands, Sky Cinema and Sky Kids as well as Sky’s Free To Air services like Sky Arts. He has ordered hugely successful award-winning dramas, such as This Is England, hit comedies like Brassic and popular entertainment like Rob and Romesh Versus (to name a few). Bennett took Sky Arts FTA in 2020 helping make the arts more accessible for all and launched Sky’s factual services like Sky Documentaries which recently won the factual BAFTA for the second year in a row for Lockerbie.    Zai has also held senior roles at Channel 5, ITV and the BBC. You can read more about the appointment and Zai's incredible CV here: https://lnkd.in/gdxTPheW   He takes up his new position in November and will report into CEO Tom Fussell, joining BBC Studio’s Executive Committee.

The last financial year saw BBC Studios make key acquisitions as well as record investments in content and services to bring audiences together around the world.   🤝 Acquiring BritBox International 📺 7 of 2023’s top shows in the UK 🌍 Planet Earth III | Eurovision | Bluey 🏆 The UK’s most awarded content studio 📈 Highest-ranking TV company in Glassdoor’s ‘Best Places to Work’ list   Thank you to everyone who made it happen!    Find out more about our Annual Review here: https://lnkd.in/e8XJ9gFS

From Inside No. 9 to Planet Earth III, BBC Studios’ content took centre stage at China’s Shanghai TV Festival. An opening keynote speech by President Global Markets, Nick Percy, spoke to the theme of cultural exchange and how content can shine a light on cultures around the world. Nick also joined a signing ceremony to mark a pre-sale deal for the BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s next landmark Asia, alongside our partners Shanghai Media Group and Phoenix TV. We were also delighted to have BBC Studios Natural History Unit Creative Director Mike Gunton join the Festival to speak about Planet Earth III, which achieved 300 million views across seven platforms in China and the world-leading work that the Natural History Unit does. And the showstopper for the week was an appearance by creators and stars of Inside No 9, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. The darkly comic anthology series is popular with millions of Chinese fans, where it’s shown on leading streaming platform Billibilli and has been reproduced as a stage show. Steve and Reece were also in Shanghai to attend a sold-out fan event. It’s been an incredible week for us at the festival supporting our partners with incredible content moments. #ShanghaiTVFestival

I’m really pleased that BBC Studios has brought together BritBox International and UKTV as co-commissioners of Outrageous.   Produced by our owned production label Firebird Pictures, Outrageous tells the story of the Mitford sisters, six aristocratic sisters whose scandalous lives made headlines around the world.    This is the first time that we’ve see such a collaboration across BBC Studios. With UKTV and BritBox International, which are both part of BBC Studios, co-commissioning from Firebird Pictures and BBC Studios distributing, it’s truly brilliant to see the teams work together in such a way.   Created and written by Sarah Williams, and starring Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy, the series will air in 2025 on BritBox in North America and U&Drama and U in the UK,    It promises to be a bold and unique show, I’m very much looking forward to watching it.

🤖 From deep fakes to AI, it’s getting harder to sort fact from fiction. 😶🌫️ We spoke to BBC News (international commercial)'s Ben Thompson at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity about the brilliant work of BBC Verify, and the BBC journalists working hard to counter disinformation and other forms of manipulated content.   Do you know how to identify an AI generated image? 🤔 #BBCStudios #AI #BBCNews #CannesLions2024

BBC Studios are teaming up with France Télévisions to develop and co-produce world-class factual content.   We’ve announced a new multi-year agreement which includes a co-production first look across our unscripted content pipeline.   Following successful collaborations co-producing shows including the BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s award-winning Frozen Planet II, Planet Earth III and Mammals, we’re excited to strengthen our partnership France Télévisions.   Upcoming titles already confirmed to be co-produced under the new agreement include the recently announced BBC Studios Science Unit series, Walking With Dinosaurs, an exciting reimagining of one of the BBC’s best loved factual shows.   The long-term strategic partnership also includes first option on pre-sales and acquisitions across BBC Studios’ extensive factual catalogue. Pre-sales already confirmed include two breathtaking BBC Studios Science Units titles, Solar System and Earth.   Find our more here: https://lnkd.in/e_45sa_h

Research! Research! Research! 💡   It’s the number one top tip for working with talent. Don’t just take our word for it though, as it was also advice given by the creators from our panel, interviewed by BBC News journalist Jonelle Awomoyi at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. ☀   🌟 Munya Chawawa, GK Barry and Joe Sugg shared what they look out for when brands approach them, how to go the extra mile to impress talent and what helps seal the deal for working with talent. 🌟 The insightful session, hosted once again by BBC Studios Global Digital Brands, delved deep into how important it is for brands to not only reach out to talent but to trust the talent and to give them creative control. 📹   Most importantly for brands, do your research. Learn about the talent and maybe even share content of theirs with them that you’ve found particularly interesting. 😊   Find out more in the video below and thank you to everyone who contributed. 👏 🤔 What's your top tip for relationship building with talent? 🤔   #BBCStudios #CannesLion2024 #MunyaChawawa #GKBarry #JoeSugg BBC Studios TalentWorks

How do you harness the power of social storytelling in the age of backlash? 🤔   🇫🇷 🦁 Today at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, BBC News journalist Jonelle Awomoyi was joined by comedian Munya Chawawa, producer and presenter Joe Sugg and podcaster GK Barry to discuss how they’ve navigated backlash and pioneered a new era of socially conscious creativity. 📱   New opportunities in social advertising afford brands extraordinary opportunities to connect, but the hate creators can face online is unprecedented.   ⭐️ The inspiring session, hosted by BBC Studios Global Digital Brands, shone a light on how a new generation of creators are embracing the power of influence for good, and the impact this will have on brand collaborations.   From being cancelled to the future of AI the panel covered almost all the big issues in social storytelling. 🤳   Thank you to the everyone who shared their insights! #BBCStudios #CannesLions2024

We're in Cannes! 🇫🇷🦁 BBC Studios Global Digital Brands team hit the ground running at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity yesterday, kicking off by hosting a panel featuring SVP Digital Jasmine Dawson, discussing female leadership, confidence and “finding your power” at the WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) Cafe, before heading up into the hillside for ADWEEK’s marketing vanguard, and some candid discussion on the state of the industry.  Elsewhere on the Croisette, VP Commercial, Digital, Nat Poulter joined a thought-provoking panel at Whalar House on how creators are redefining entertainment, before the wider team hosted talent and partners for a dinner, in collaboration with UK Advertising, with a funny and inspiring keynote from comedian and satirist, Munya Chawawa. #BBCStudios #CannesLions

Join the BBC at Cannes Lions next week for a packed programme - we are excited to partner on sessions with: WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ), dentsu, Havas, GroupM, VideoWeek, RTL AdAlliance, World Media Group, Brand Innovators, Teads and UK Advertising/The Marketing Society. We will be joined all week by BBC News presenters, Katty Kay and Ben Thompson and senior execs from our EMEA and US teams. We would love to say 'hi', so please reach out to the relevant team members. You can see them all here and details on our complete week of programming (with 'register to attend' links): https://lnkd.in/eMFPYfvj #CannesLions2024 #BBCStudios #Future #AI #BrandSafety #Sport #Olympics #Women