ITVSGE fills COO role, seals Netflix pact

ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVSGE) has filled the newly created post of chief operating officer (COO) internally, and has signed a content deal with US streaming giant Netflix.

Duncan Walker, previously director of finance and operations, comes in as COO of ITVSGE and the rest of the world (RoW), the global distribution arm and international production division of UK broadcaster ITV.

Reporting to Maria Kyriacou, MD for ITVSGE and RoW, Walker will support the continued growth of the businesses, with a remit covering the finance, operations, business development, human resources, marketing and legal and business affairs teams.

Walker recently completed a six-month secondment in New York where he project-managed the integration of production company Leftfield into the ITV business.

He has been finance and operations director for ITVSGE for the past four years, prior to which he was finance director. Before joining ITVSGE, Walker held a number of senior financial controller and director roles at several ITV companies including Carlton, Granada and United Broadcasting.

In related news, ITVSGE has closed a multi-year subscription VoD (SVoD) deal with US streaming giant Netflix for a range of its drama and factual titles to be shown in France, Germany and Benelux.

The agreement will see all five series of Irish drama Love/Hate go to France and Germany on Netflix as the only SVoD service. Set in Dublin’s criminal underworld, Love/Hate (Octagon Films for RTÉ) follows a gangland boss as he fights to hold on to his power.

The Californian streamer has also acquired the SVoD rights to Dancing On The Edge (Ruby Film and Television for BBC2), Stephen Poliakoff’s drama set in 1930s London.

Also covered by the deal are the first two seasons of Mr Selfridge (ITV Studios for ITV), meaning Netflix now holds the SVoD rights to the period drama across all its European territories.

The firm has also acquired the first two series of Rectify (SundanceTV) and the initial two series of documentary series River Monsters (Icon Films for Discovery), presented by extreme angler Jeremy Wade.