Content & Production manages the acquisition of rights from the BBC and independent producers and provides brand management for key titles. It also licenses programme formats to broadcasters outside the UK and is increasing its production bases around the world in order to maximize profit and control brand opportunities. It is also home to BBC Worldwide's film unit.

Content & Production's performance is fundamental to the success of BBC Worldwide's long-term strategy for growth. Since its launch in January 2006, it has played a key role in establishing BBC Worldwide as a leading global content network. In 2006/07, the business increased its revenues to £52.9m, compared to £36.1m in the previous year. Moreover, it came close to tripling its profits, delivering £9.5m, up from £3.2m the previous year.

FORMATS

The formats business is hit driven, and one of the biggest global hits in the market at the moment is Dancing with the Stars (the international name for Strictly Come Dancing). Broadcast in 41 countries, the show continues to grow audiences throughout the world and is one of the top entertainment series in most territories. In the Czech Republic, series one's final won an audience share of 51%. In Norway, series two finished with 61%, while in Denmark, series three ended with a remarkable 76% of the audience. It was the highest-rating, locally produced entertainment show of the year in Australia and in New Zealand series two on TVNZ attracted a remarkable 47% share on launch.

In the US, Dancing with the Stars is produced by BBC Worldwide's LA production base for ABC, where audiences exceeded 27m and judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli are household names. The LA office is responsible for building the Dancing brand in the US and its success this year in launching a nationwide Dancing with the Stars theatre show, book and DVD demonstrates the benefit of producing shows, rather than merely licensing them, in order to maximise the potential of hit brands and manage their exploitation.

Success in entertainment formats was not confined to Dancing with the Stars. Existing formats continued to deliver, such as Weakest Link in France, Friends Like These and The Generation Game in South Africa, and Honey We're Killing the Kids in both Australia and New Zealand. Just the Two of Us became the first BBC entertainment format to be produced in China. In Australia, where it plays as It Takes Two, a second series launched in 2007. The format has also been licensed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Croatia and the Ukraine.

Away from entertainment, work progressed on three scripted pilots with three different networks - The Thick of It with ABC, I'm with Stupid with NBC, and (with Sony Pictures TV), a remake of the hit BBC musical drama Blackpool for CBS called Viva Laughlin! . Subsequently, Viva Laughlin! was commissioned for a full series for the autumn of 2007.

 

 

* Includes the performance of 2 entertain's TV production business