WINNING A LONG GAME:
has TV giant leading the pack with its global
Strategic masterstrokes made ITV Studios a giant in production and distribution.
What links global entertainment juggernauts “Love Island” and “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!” with drama sensations “Bodyguard,” “Snowpiercer” and “Line of Duty”? Or reality hits “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Queer Eye” and “Come Dine With Me,” with quiz phenomenon “The Chase”?
The answer: All are created, produced or distributed by companies that sit under the umbrella of creative giant ITV Studios.
Part of ITV, home to the U.K.’S top commercial broadcaster, ITV Studios’ evolution to global leadership is the result of decisive strategic moves.
A decade ago, the broadcaster decided to pivot from its reliance on TV advertising and grow its production and distribution business, ITV Studios.
Thanks to a spate of acquisitions and partnerships as well as organic growth, ITV Studios’ footprint now spans 55 production labels in 13 countries, including “Bodyguard” maker World Productions in the U.K., “Romulus” producer Cattleya in Italy, and “Snowpiercer” producer Tomorrow Studios in the U.S.
Meanwhile, ITV Studios’ distribution division sells to hundreds of broadcasters and platforms around the world and is home to a 46,000hour catalog. With a focus on premium titles, its shows originate from ITV Studios-owned labels like World, which
Exponential growth and smart acquisitions have put ITV Studios’ series and formats on screens in over 200 territories — turning viewers everywhere into passionate fans
is behind new BBC One thriller “Vigil,” as well as third-party partners such as Plimsoll Productions, which is making the upcoming natural-history epic “A Year on Planet Earth.”
After such a fast expansion, some in the industry are still catching up with ITV Studios’ reach and resources.
“I think sometimes the market doesn’t fully appreciate what an extraordinary depth and range of shows we have at our disposal,” says ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy.
He picks out three milestones in ITV Studios growth in the past decade: the acquisition of Talpa Media in 2015, the purchase of Cattleya in 2017, and the success of “Love Island.”
“‘The Voice,’” Bellamy says, “was like a pair of jump leads on our formats business.” He explains that the show also helped ITV Studios to recruit top talent to the company.
The Cattleya deal, meanwhile, was important for underlining ITV Studios’ international ambitions in Europe and the U.S., as well as its focus on quality. “One of the keys to success for the future is going to be about a very simple thing: quality,” says Bellamy. “You have to align yourself with the very best, and Cattleya produces some absolutely wonderful drama from ‘Suburra’ to ‘Gomorrah.’”
Finally, “Love Island” highlights the importance of ITV Studios’ relationship with the ITV network, which first commissioned the show for its youthskewing ITV2 channel in the U.K. “It came about because of the often quite informal conversations with the network around what we could do in this space,” says Bellamy. Being part of an integrated broadcast, production and distribution group also means that ITV Studios is acutely aware of the needs and expectations of commissioning channels, says Bellamy.
One of the world’s fastest-growing formats, “Love Island” has now been commissioned in 17 territories; the finished tape of “Love Island” U.K. sells to 202 territories. Meanwhile, “The Voice” has 70 local versions, plus 41 of “The Voice Kids” and 14 of “The Voice Senior.”
The idea, says Maarten Meijs, who is responsible for ITV Studios’ formats business as global entertainment president, is to “protect and enhance our big brands” — building them outward wherever possible to extend the franchise in each country. Coming up soon, to mark the 10th anniversary of the show, is spinoff “The Voice All Stars,” which will reunite stars from the past. “The Chase” has also diversified with “Beat the Chasers,” “The Family Chase” and “Celebrity Special” editions.
Equally important is launching new formats around the world. Meijs cites a trend for feel-good, escapist programming that can be made locally because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Meijs picks out “Let Love Rule,” an original Dutch format where couples leave their digital devices at home as they attempt to find true love. From the moment they meet, the couples immediately move in together. They stay for a minimum of 24 hours and can extend this to five days. The format is now being made for TV4 in Sweden and ITV2 in the U.K., where it is being produced by ITV Studios-owned 12 Yard and will be titled “The Cabins.”
ITV Studios is also developing new unscripted brands. The Global Creative Network — run by managing director Mike Beale — tracks ideas within ITV Studios’ worldwide group of production companies and helps identify commissioning opportunities.
“We’ve constantly got our ear to the ground,” says Beale. “We very much listen to our global footprint in the U.S., Australia and key European territories, and ask them.”
Beale cites the upcoming ITV series “Don’t Rock The Boat,” a competition format in which 12 celebrities row the entire length of Britain. It is produced by new indie South Shore, in which ITV Studios has a minority investment. Sharing the concept with ITV Studios’ network globally, Beale quickly found the idea gaining traction in countries, such as the U.S., Netherlands and Australia, where rowing is a popular sport.
For Bellamy, this focus on developing new shows is crucial. Looking ahead, he says: “Like all producers, we spend every waking hour trying to come up with the next big thing. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a couple more of those in our back pocket in a few years’ time?” ɿ