Sky Eyes “Next Level” Of Growth As NBCUniversal Takes Over Global Sales

Sky is looking to become Europes “most important producer of original content” as it doubles its investment over the next five years and hopes that NBCUniversals move for to take over its international content sales will help it reach “another level”.

Sky and NBCU held a cocktail event at Londons BAFTA last night to toast the merger of Sky Vision into NBCUniversal International Television Distribution and introduce British producers to Belinda Menendez and her team.

Sky Studios CEO Gary Davey said that Jane Millichip, who founded Sky Vision and becomes Chief Commercial Officer at Sky Studios, and her team hit their long-term revenue target two years ahead of schedule.

“The Sky Vision journey has been very important to everyone here at Sky. The Sky Vision team were able to develop and prove a monetisation model that allowed us to initiate our investment model in original content,” he said. “Were very proud of the work weve done to date but were equally proud to be associated with Belinda and her team. It will help us go to another level, not a better level, a different level and thats part of the natural journey of our industry. We have very big ambitions. Bear with us, it will be messy, we will make mistakes along the way but were determined to become Europes most important producer of original content.”

Davey revealed that Sky is currently in various stages of production with 52 scripted series including 34 dramas and 18 comedies. “Thats only going to get bigger and better,” he said. “We only have one rule: no rules.”

Millichip, who was called a “class act” by Davey, praised the sales and acquisitions staff at Sky Vision. “Its not an end, we see it as new beginnings,” she said. “We couldnt be more excited about the future. Over the next five years, well more than double our investment into original content, everything from straight commissions, co-productions and in-house production capacities. For the first time at Sky, we are really embracing the European endeavour. Until now, the Italian, German and UK arms of Sky have endeavoured to work together as one unit but this is the first time that weve set up a genuinely international, European endeavour.”

She admitted that Sky Studios, which revealed its first project earlier this summer, Jude Laws The Third Day with HBO, was “an unusual model”. “The operating model is very much like a U.S. studio but our creative sensibilities are thoroughly European,” she said.

NBCUniversal International Television Distribution will now take over sales for titles including A Discovery of Witches, Patrick Read More – Source