Beyond beefs up production business in UK, US
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Editor
| 09 July 2020
Leading Australian content businesses Beyond International has expanded its international production capabilities to the UK by acquiring Seven Studios UK (SSUK) from Seven West Media (SWM).

Mikael Borglund Beyond 9July2020Beyond Productions was established in 1984 and has produced in excess of 5000 hours of global television programming, including major long-running non-scripted hits such as MythBusters, Love It or List It Australia, Deadly Women, Selling Houses Australia. It is also known for scripted titles such as Pulse for the ABC, and Halifax Retribution, produced for Nine Network and starring Rebecca Gibney and Anthony La Paglia.

Seven Studios UK is the London-based TV production arm of Australia’s Seven Studios. IT creates formatted and factual entertainment for UK broadcasters and works closely with sister companies in Australia, New Zealand and the USA to create shows for the International market.

The acquisition was facilitated through Beyond Entertainment (BEL), BYI’s wholly-owned Irish subsidiary, which also acquired the remaining 50.98% of the share capital of 7Beyond Media Rights (7Beyond) that it did not previously own from Seven Network (Operations) Limited (Seven), giving BEL 100% ownership of 7Beyond. The 7Beyond (7B) Los Angeles-based joint venture, established in November 2013, is currently in production on series 11 of its breakout hit My Lottery Dream Home for HGTV. Other credits include Tiny Food Fight (Facebook Watch), Holiday Gingerbread Showdown (Food Network) and Hip Hop Houdini (Fuse).

SSUK, headed by Damon Pattison, is currently producing an 8 x 60’ primetime series of Pooch Perfect for BBC One. The format, which was created by the SSUK team, has already been produced for the Seven Network in Australia, with other versions in advanced development. The SSUK team was also recently commissioned to film a two-part pilot series of “My Lottery Dream Home International”, a 7Beyond original format, for HGTV (USA).

The 7B team will now join forces with Beyond’s existing LA-based production unit and, following a re-brand to Beyond Productions. It will carry as normal business with its slate of pilots in production and programmes in advanced stages of development. Both businesses will eventually be re-branded as Beyond Productions and will report into John Luscombe, Beyond Productions GM and EVP.

Commenting on the deal, Mikael Borglund, CEO and MD of Beyond International, (pictured) said: “This is an exciting time for Beyond. We have already expanded our distribution business this year with the acquisition of TCB Media Rights and its extensive catalogue, and now we are adding to and strengthening our production capabilities in two of the world’s creative centres.”