NBCUniversal merging UIS, UCP under Beatrice Springborn as 22 jobs cut

US media giant NBCUniversal is set to merge two of its studio entities, Universal International Studios (UIS) and Universal Content Productions (UCP), as part of a reorganisation that will see six jobs cut plus a further 16 across NBC and Peacock.

Beatrice Springborn

The merged unit, Universal Global Television (UGT), will be led by Beatrice Springborn, who had previously overseen both UCP and UIS when they were separate.

UCP is behind series including Suits, The Burbs and Ted and has talent deals with the likes of Patrick Macmanus, Nick Antosca, Rachel Shukert and Sue Naegle.

UIS, which has operations in the UK and US, is the owner of production companies Carnival Films, Heyday Television and Working Title Television and is behind titles including All Her Fault, Apples Never Fall and The Day of the Jackal.

UGT’s programming team will include Kelsey Balance as executive VP of global series and Rebecca Franko as exec VP of current. The production operation will continue to be led globally by Mark Binke, while the UK operations will continue to be led by executive VP Rob Howard, who works closely with the global leadership team. Meanwhile, casting is being consolidated across UGT and Universal Television under Kimberly Hope.

The three labels now sitting inside Universal Studio Group (USG) are UGT, Universal Television and Universal Television Alternative Studio. USG is led by Pearlena Igbokwe, while the three studio labels are led by Springborn, Erin Underhill and Toby Gorman respectively.

The combination of the studios will result in 22 job cuts, C21 understands. Six of those are directly related to the UIS-UCP merger, including the departures of UCP development execs Jennifer Gwartz and Marc Velez, who served as VP and senior VP respectively. Steven O’Neill, who was exec VP of casting and talent development is also leaving. The remaining cuts were made across Peacock and NBC.

“Bringing the studios together to form Universal Global Television, with a combined collaborative team, allows us to benefit from an international marketplace while maintaining our longstanding commitment to producing series for audiences in the UK and US,” said Springborn.

“We are doubling down on our investment in global storytellers by building on the strengths that have defined UCP and Universal International Studios and carrying that legacy forward into our next phase.”