How the ABC bungled a $4billion payday - as Aussie show among the biggest in the world makes major move

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

The ABC has been left red-faced after the UK channel that airs Bluey announced it is set to make even more money off one of Australia's most successful cultural exports.
This week, the BBC revealed plans to transform Bluey into a full-fledged lifestyle brand, marking another major commercial leap for the animated juggernaut.
Alongside the expansion of its already booming merchandise empire, a Bluey feature film is now in the works, set to be released in 2027 and distributed globally by Disney.
In just 2024 alone, Bluey was the driving force behind a bumper $4billion in commercial profits for BBC Studios through global licensing, product deals, and themed experiences.
That staggering haul is more than four times the annual budget of the ABC, which is funded by the federal government and Australian taxpayers.
The ABC was among the original co-commissioners of Bluey, which first aired in 2018, but failed to secure any significant merchandising deals.
Despite being developed and produced in Brisbane by Ludo Studio, most of the benefits of show's commercial success has flowed offshore.
Since its debut, Bluey has become a global sensation, celebrated for its heartwarming storytelling, gentle humour, and uniquely Australian character.
Bluey-branded merchandise ranges from plush toys and puzzles to camping gear, clothing, and even nappies.
In 2024, a large-scale Bluey-themed attraction, Bluey's World, opened in Brisbane, and was recently named one of Time Magazine's 'World's Greatest Places' for 2025.
In the same year, Bluey was the number one most viewed show in the United States, recording more than 55billion minutes of viewing time on Disney+.
'From a retail sales standpoint, we are generating about £2.7bn in global retail sales across our entire portfolio and Bluey is a really, really big chunk of that,' Suzy Raia, who heads global consumer products at BBC Studios, told The Guardian.
Yet despite its deep Australian roots, the ABC has reaped little financial reward from Bluey's explosive global success.
As reported by The Courier-Mail in February, the ABC made no attempt to secure merchandising rights during the show's early development.
Then-managing director David Anderson was present at the meeting where Bluey was first pitched to the network.
'We don't make money out of Bluey,' Anderson told the ABC in 2023. 'What Bluey does is provide joy to children and families all over the country and now all over the world. And that would be priceless.'
In 2024, ABC Chair Kim Williams addressed the Australian Press Club, warning of declining public funding for the broadcaster and calling for greater government support.
Just a few months later in June, the ABC slashed at least 50 jobs in a round of budget cuts, under the new leadership of Managing Director Hugh Marks.
Among the casualties was the long-running current affairs program Q&A, once a flagship forum for national political and cultural debate.
In an email sent to ABC staff, Marks justified the changes were part of the ABC stepping back from 'areas that no longer align with our priorities'.