TV Production firm enjoying boom in growth
BRISTOL-BASED television production company Plimsoll Productions has reported a 65% growth in sales as its portfolio of nature documentaries attracted growing audiences on major networks.
The Bafta and Emmy-winning indie, which is based on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, generated sales of £50 million in the financial year ending August 2021, despite the challenges to the industry posed by the pandemic.
Plimsoll Productions, which also has offices in Cardiff and Los Angeles, is backed by private equity firm LDC, from which it received a multimillion-pound investment in 2019 in a deal that valued the business at £80 million.
The company is known for making natural history and factual content, including Hostile Planet with Bear Grylls for National Geographic. The business said during the past year it had attracted its highest audiences to date, with standout productions including nature programme Tiny World for Apple TV+, narrated by Hollywood actor Paul Rudd, and Women of 9/11, a documentary shown on ABC.
In the same period, Plimsoll Productions expanded its network through the acquisition of rights management company Magnify Media, which distributes to 75 countries worldwide.
The company said it was also able to form international partnerships, including with Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent, through a co-production series it worked on with ITV.
The firm also made a number of senior appointments, with former US talent agent and unscripted TV dealmaker Mark Itkin brought in to advise on group strategy, and Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees was also recruited to its board to assist
with commercial opportunities, talent, diversity and sustainability.
Plimsoll Productions said it would look to expand its factual offering and develop its drama portfolio over the next year, with a National Geographic series called On the Edge featuring climber Alex Honnold in the pipeline.
Grant Mansfield, chief executive and founder of Plimsoll Productions, said: “We’re immensely proud of our multi-award-winning creative teams and their achievements over the last few years.
“It’s testament to their skills and long-term commitment that our projects continue to have a real impact, helping to raise awareness of important global issues and drive forward positive societal change.
“It’s never been more important to champion the natural world, and it’s our mission to produce powerful storytelling and to reach as wide an audience as possible. The team at LDC has been instrumental in supporting our record growth and helping us to achieve our ambitions to date.”
Dewi Hughes, head of LDC in the South West and Wales, added: “The impact of the pandemic created many unique challenges for the TV and entertainment sector, but Plimsoll continued to thrive under Grant and the team’s leadership, going on to deliver a record year for growth.
“With its strong pipeline of upcoming projects, growing international audiences and blue-chip partnerships, Plimsoll is on track to continue to scale in the years ahead.”