Davie: BBCS navigating ‘radical change’

MIPCOM: BBC Studios (BBCS) is “completely changing” its approach to distribution to navigate the “radical” disruption in the content business, according to its CEO.

Tim Davie has overseen the merger of production arm BBCS and sales division BBC Worldwide over the past 12 months, a move he said was designed to ensure the organisation could retain and attract talent.

But he added that while finished programme sales remains a “big and significant market,” the distribution business has become a “strategic task” requiring a different skill set.

“We are looking long term at how we balance our business across customers, and where this is leading in terms of our creative partnerships,” he said. “This is high-end account-management skills, how you manage an account and where’s it going.”

The BBC has been attempting to balance its partnerships over recent years, striking coproduction deals with streamers such as Netflix and Amazon to secure programming as budgets soar, but also warning that those same companies do not have the best interests of domestic producers at heart.

Meanwhile, the complexity of selling shows to SVoDs and broadcasters also came to the fore over the summer when UK cabler Virgin Media dropped channels from BBCS- and Discovery-owned UKTV after a disagreement over a lack of catch-up rights.

Davie said that the industry was rapidly evolving and that the “art” of distribution required different skills as deals increasingly get struck well before cameras start rolling.

“If you think you can just repeat what you’re doing and success will follow then you’re in big trouble. We are completely changing what we see as distribution, pretty fundamentally. The skills needed and the level of sophistication with big companies is changing.”

Davie also outlined his commitment to becoming a global company based around UK creatives and being able to work quickly on projects. “There’s no doubt that you have to choose your battles now and we are very focused. We talk about being British, being bold and creativity.

“We’re very focused on being a global company but powered by British creativity, and that means our scope is pretty tightly defined on what we’re looking for but broad on what genres.”

He also said BBCS was now in a position to “make ideas happen and make them happen fast,” pointing to its deal on drama Dracula with Netflix, which will take global rights. “You have to fight for home-grown storytellers and we are creating a company of a global scale which can do that,” he said, adding that he was keen to nurture future talent.

BBCS has also been ramping up its indie investments over recent months, taking its first 100% stake in a company – Les Miserables producer Lookout Point – in July.

“We have IP, content and production businesses, so we are geared towards natural growth if we get it right. Distribution is a part of that, but there is radical change and we’re only part of the way through it – although I haven’t got an end date in mind. It’ll keep going.”