Campaign Profile

Boat Rocker exec Jon Rutherford outlines plans to expand into FAST and foreign-language markets, predicts a ‘new renaissance’ of rights opportunities and teases the company’s Mipcom slate.

Boat Rocker is heading to Mipcom with a full slate of premium drama series, unscripted formats and global kids’ franchises.

Founded in 2003 (followed by the 2016 re-branding) and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Boat Rocker has made waves within the industry by creating, producing and distributing high-end content for clients around the world.

The company says storytelling is at the heart of everything it does, and few stories in the world are as instantly familiar as the steal-from-the-rich-to-give-to-the-poor legend of Robin Hood.

One of the biggest shows Boat Rocker will offer to buyers in Cannes this month is Robyn Hood, a bold new take on the iconic tale, produced by Boat Rocker for Corus Entertainment-owned Canadian broadcaster Global.

Set in the present day, the 8×60’ series stars Jessye Romeo (Pennyworth) as fearless Gen Z-er Robyn Loxley who – along with her anti-authoritarian hip-hop act The Hood – confronts injustice in the city of New Nottingham.

The Mipcom scripted slate also includes futuristic psychological thriller Beacon 23, a two-season production totalling 16×60’ episodes, produced by Boat Rocker, that will launch in the US in November on MGM+

The series depicts the fate of two people who find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling book, Beacon 23 stars Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Stephan James (Selma).

Those two projects are complemented by Orphan Black: Echoes, set in the world of Boat Rocker’s landmark drama Orphan Black and starring Krysten Ritter (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) as an enigmatic woman with an unimaginable origin story.

The 10×60’ series was commissioned by AMC Networks and has already been picked up by multiple international buyers including UK streamer ITVX and Australian VoD platform Stan.

“That’s a big one for us and we’re excited to launch Orphan Black: Echoes globally,” says Jon Rutherford, president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios.

“Robyn Hood is a fun, vibrant and energetic retelling of the classic tale, which debuted recently to critical acclaim. And Beacon 23 is a high pedigree, big-budget sci-fi series that we’re really excited about. We’re thrilled that MGM+ will launch the show in the US and we’re looking for a wide variety of partners on that one.”

Rutherford says that premium scripted content is very much in high demand from buyers around the world, whether it’s Boat Rocker’s own shows or content acquired from third-party producers for distribution.

“In recent years there hasn’t been as much premium scripted content available to international buyers, because so many of those shows have been part of global streamer deals and the rights were tied up,” he says.

“But now we’re certainly seeing opportunities to produce, co-finance and distribute these shows, and that kind of content will start to come from more of an independent source rather than just through an output or global deal.”

Indeed, with many of the big US-based SVoD platforms rowing back on their demands for global rights, Rutherford claims streamer execs are now more open to negotiation when it comes to making deals.

“You can’t ignore the presence and the power of the streamers,” he says. “But I think there’ll be some changes and we’ll see more strategic partnerships, rather than one-stop-shop global deals.

“There’ll certainly be more opportunities for companies like Boat Rocker to play a role in deficit financing to bring projects to the table from a different perspective. We’re willing to coproduce, co-finance and bring other territories into the mix at an earlier stage.”

The company’s unscripted offering for Mipcom is headed by Mary Makes It Easy, produced by Boat Rocker’s Proper Television in association with Bell Media for CTV’s Life channel. Hosted by MasterChef Canada winner Mary Berg, the series sees the culinary expert share tips, tricks, and recipes to solve everyday cooking conundrums.

It is joined by 10×60’ factual series The Secrets in the Ice season three (Shark Teeth Films for Discovery Science Channel), about the forgotten treasures and lost relics left frozen in time, plus 10×30’ home renovation format Listing Large (Proper Television in association with Bell Media for Roku), which follows real estate entrepreneurs Odeen Eccleston and Lamont Wiltshire.

“In unscripted, our content is often fronted by big personalities,” says Rutherford. “Mary Berg, for example, is part of the Boat Rocker family and is a long-running host of food programming for us. We also love high-profile documentaries with talent attached, as well as science and history.”

Topping the bill of Boat Rocker’s children’s and family offering is the third season of its preschool animated hit Dino Ranch (52×11’, Boat Rocker and Industrial Brothers for CBC, Disney Junior and Disney+).

Also featured in the kids-skewing slate is live-action dance series The Next Step S9 (22×30’, Boat Rocker for CBBC) and adventure comedy The Strange Chores S3 (26×11’ Ludo Studio and Media World Production for Australia’s ABC Me).

“Dino Ranch is our biggest kids’ franchise right now and it’s been great to build out that universe with our partners,” says Rutherford. “We’re certainly more active in the accessible, rights-driven side of the business for our kids and family content. These brands can live for many years on multiple platforms.”

Now that Boat Rocker has amassed an extensive catalogue to superserve clients around the world, the company is keen to expand into other categories such as French-Canadian and foreign-language content.

“From an acquisitions perspective, there are certainly some great French-Canadian dramas that we are looking at,” says Rutherford. “But I also think we’ll be sourcing more foreign-language content from outside of Canada to add to our catalogue.

“We’re working with producers and executives across Europe and other countries. Therefore, it won’t be uncommon to see Boat Rocker get involved with European projects as either a production partner or distributor in the coming months and years.”

The company is also starting to make tentative steps towards embracing the emerging market of free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) as another content distribution model.

“It’s certainly part of our future,” says Rutherford. “We haven’t been overly active in this space thus far, but we’re about to build our first FAST channel offering soon. We have a vast content catalogue, so for us it’s about trying to determine which genres of programming are the most appropriate to start with.”

Like many prodcos, Boat Rocker’s operations in the US were affected by the Writers Guild of America strike, which was resolved recently, and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA action.

“Obviously, we produce shows in the US, but fortunately we were able to complete scripted shows such as Beacon 23 and Orphan Black: Echoes just before the strike started,” says Rutherford. “There were some projects we had to pause momentarily, but we’re ready to go again now things are starting to lift, which is exciting.

“In previous years, there has been more of an immediate urgency for content when the strikes have ended. However, this time some of the studios and streamers were well prepared in advance of the industrial action.”

Looking ahead to the future, Rutherford says Boat Rocker has the financial clout to continue being a major player in the audiovisual industry.

“As a public company, we’re fortunate to have capital and the opportunity to spend it,” says the executive. “With the right project or business opportunity, we have the resources and infrastructure to make unique deals. We certainly see a new renaissance of rights opportunities in the coming years, globally.”