Tom Fussell, the head of BBC Commercial, the commercial arm of the U.K. public broadcaster that mainly consists of BBC Studios, of which he serves as CEO, is upbeat.
After all, BBC Commercial, which is mostly driven by BBC Studios, just reported improved full fiscal-year earnings and steady record revenue earlier on Tuesday, helped by the continued success of animated hit franchise Bluey and other factors.
After the financial update, Fussell talked to The Hollywood Reporter about key growth drivers and challenges, recent mega-mergers, such as Paramount’s deal for Warner Bros. Discovery and the just-unveiled acquisition of ITV’s network and streaming assets by Comcast’s Sky.
Among the other topics he addressed are the benefits that BBC Studios has seen from using the power of YouTube, the opportunities in vertical content, his take on the company’s M&A opportunities, the ongoing success of Bluey and the upcoming The Bluey Movie, the future of Doctor Who and the growth of streaming services BritBox International and the documentary-centric BBC Select, part of BBC Studios’ Global Media & Streaming unit. The company acquired full control of BritBox International in 2024. Read Fussell’s thoughts and insights below.
