BBC Worldwide has taken a stake in Claimed and Shamed producers Curve Media after chief executive Tim Davie said he had “re-engaged the engines” on investing in production companies.
The BBC’s commercial wing will “make more of these sort of investments” said Davie, who said Worldwide is “pushing through a number of deals”.
Davie explained: “Today we’ll be announcing we’ve taken 25% of a company called Curve which is two creatives, Camilla Lewis and Rob Carey, they’ve done a lot of programming in factual entertainment. What we’re looking for is … talent that’s coming throught that has the potential to supply us with content over the next few years. We’re not a private equity company.
“The objective of BBC Worldwide is to partner with creatives who are particularly aligned with a UK sensibility who want to be here rather than Hollywood … I can give them a lot of creative space and fun, given that we’re not a big corporate that restrains their creativity but let’s them get at it. I think you’ll see us make more of those sort of investments.”
In addition to BBC1’s Named and Shamed, Curve’s other programmes include Channel 5’s Trauma Doctors.
BBC Worldwide has taken stakes in companies before such as comedy specialist Big Talk (which is now owned by ITV) and drama company Left Bank (which is majority owned now by Sony) but Davie said he has “re-engaged the engines on this” but with “a specific brief” and is “ pushing through a number of deals … we’re ambitious in the UK, we’re going to build our capability”.
Speaking at the FT Digital Media conference, he acknowledged that the investment would be in the tens of millions rather than hundreds.
Responding to questions about the future of Top Gear, which has been a big earner for BBC Worldwide, and the impact on the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond from the programme, Davie said there would be more focus on the “local” versions of the show – the ones that are made in different countries with native presenters.
He said that revenue for Top Gear would grow “over time” saying “we’ve got a lot of work to do”.
Davie said the impact will not “be that significant in revenue terms the year we’ve just closed” but “we’ll see what happens after the hiatus” once the new presenting team is in place.
“I still remain confident about the future of Top Gear in terms of a content investor and a sales and distribution business,” he added.
Davie also said he welcomed the proposal to transfer some of the BBC’s in-house production to a new commercial subsidiary, saying, “strengthening in-house is wonderful news for me” and said the eagerly-awaited pay-digital service, BBC Store is due to launch by the “late summer”.
In addition he pointed to other revenue streams that have emerged by partnering with outside companies such as a CBeebies language school in China and a proposed partnership to put BBC show-themed rides at a new theme park in Kent.
