Bear Hunt, Ninja Warrior outfit ATS opens Manchester base to expand into UK regional production

ATS provides services for Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt (Photo: Banijay UK)

LA- and London- based producer and production services firm The ATS Team, the line production company on Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt, is expanding into the UK nations and regions with the opening of a new base in Manchester and a company rebrand.

It will now operate under the name ATS and leverage its new northern office as a hub for creative talent outside of London.

Nicola Griffiths, senior VP of production, will head the Manchester facility, further establishing the company’s partnerships with local producers and talent.

Manchester is an important part of the UK production ecosystem, with pubcasters the BBC and ITV moving thousands of jobs to the MediaCityUK complex in Salford. The city is also home to prodcos such as Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions (Men Up) and Workerbee (Bruno v Tyson).

ATS provides set construction and art direction services across the US, South-east Asia, Europe and Australia for the global Ninja Warrior franchise, as well as shows such as Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix), The Titan Games with Dwayne Johnson USA (NBC) and Holey Moley (ABC).

Danny Sanz, chief operating officer at ATS, said: “We are proud to be expanding ATS with a new regional base in the heart of Manchester’s TV and film production industry. So many global productions are drawn to the city’s incredible talent pool, innovative studio spaces and diverse filming locations.

“As a firmly established creative powerhouse in the UK’s industry, Manchester feels like a natural home for ATS. We look forward to forging new partnerships and working with new talent as we embark on this next chapter.”