Sony Pictures Television completes acquisition of UK drama prodco Bad Wolf

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has confirmed its long-rumoured purchase of Cardiff-based Bad Wolf, the production company behind BBC and HBO dramas His Dark Materials and Industry.

Jane Tranter (left) and Julie Gardner of Bad Wolf

SPT has taken a majority stake in the business in a deal which includes the Wolf Studios Wales sound stage facility in Cardiff and Bad Wolf’s 30% stake in Bad Wolf America (BWA).

Financial terms of the deal, which ends the Sky, HBO and Access Entertainment minority investments in Bad Wolf, were not disclosed.

Bad Wolf was founded in Cardiff in 2015 by Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner. Its programming has included A Discovery of Witches (Sky), Industry (HBO/BBC), The Night of (HBO) and I Hate Suzie (Sky).

In September, the company joined BBC Studios as a coproducer on Doctor Who, with Russell T Davies returning to the long-running sci-fi series as showrunner.

BWA was set up as a sister company in 2019, with Bad Wolf holding a 30% stake. Based in Los Angeles and run by Gardner, BWA was founded to create content for the US and global TV markets.

SPT’s investment follows a similar buy-out of kids’ content producer Silvergate Media in December 2019, the acquisition of a stake in sports specialist Whisper Films in February 2020 and a further move into premium scripted with the acquisition of Sex Education producer Eleven in June 2020.

Ravi Ahuja, chairman of Global Television Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment corporate development, said: “The business is evolving as audiences everywhere become more attuned to content produced outside of their own cultures. This deal not only speaks to the high quality of talent we are proud to work with but also to our aim to create and deliver the most outstanding UK drama programmes to the world.”

Wayne Garvie, president of international production at SPT, said: “In the blink of an eye, Bad Wolf has established itself as one of the world’s most admired drama producers. The quality of work, breadth of imagination and boundless ambition make it one of the great emerging production houses of our time. Jane and her team have built a tremendous business and established Wales as the home of some of the most fantastic tales of the age and now we aim to help them build still further.”

Tranter said: “The last five years since launching Bad Wolf have been a hugely rewarding experience as, with the support of Access Entertainment, Sky and HBO, we built a production infrastructure and a creative community based out of Wolf Studios Wales that could compete with any TV production in the world.

“SPT shares our vision for the company and their immediate understanding and belief in the ethos of Bad Wolf make them the perfect partners for our future. With a forward-looking, global corporation like Sony investing in the future of Bad Wolf and Wales it gives us the ability to reach even greater heights in the years to come.”