BBC Studios & France Télévisions To Co-Create Blue-Chip Factual Shows Through Wide-Ranging Deal

Pubcasters unite! France Télévisions and BBC Studios have struck a long-term strategic partnership to co-create factual shows.

The pair unveiled the deal at Sunnyside of the Doc in La Rochelle, France, today. It came into effect in April and means France Télévisions gets a first look at co-production opportunities on BBC Studios shows.

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The BBC and France Télévisions are frequent collaborators in the docs space and worked together in recent years on shows such as Frozen Planet II, Planet Earth II and Mammals. Upcoming titles included under the new agreement include BBC Studios Science Unit series Walking with Dinosaurs, which is a return to the popular natural history series after 25 years that the BBC and PBS ordered. ZDF in Germany is also attached as a co-producer.

Another element to today’s deal is France Télévisions will get first options on pre-sales and acquisitions across BBC Studios’ factual catalog. Confirmed as pre-buys are the upcoming science shows Solar System and landmark series Earth, which tells the story of our planet across its four billion years.

Antonio Grigolini, Head of Documentaries, France Télévisions, said “France Télévisions is proud to share common public service values with BBC Studios. We look forward to continuing our fruitful partnership and joining forces to produce among the most ambitious and impactful factual content on the market.”

Chris Kinsman, Senior Vice President, Factual, EMEA, BBC Studios said, “BBC Studios produces the most commanding and captivating factual content worldwide and our partners clearly agree as our content has never been more in demand. This fantastic partnership with France Télévisions will not only strengthen the output we are able to deliver to audiences in France, the UK and beyond, but upcoming titles like Mammals and Walking With Dinosaurs are only made possible with collaborations like this.”

Kinsman brokered the deal alongside fellow BBC Studios exec Katherine Waddicar.

BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial division, has been targeting revenues of £3.2B annually with £450M returned to the BBC in 2027, when the pubcaster’s charter agreement comes up. This would double the size of the company’s business but is still well short of the £3.8B income the license fee provided last year. The company has been aggressively acquiring

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