Latest news with #PhoenixesRisingFromTheAshes
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Matt Risley Exiting Channel 4 After Five Years Running 4Studio
EXCLUSIVE: Matt Risley, Channel 4's YouTube supremo who founded and runs the broadcaster's 4Studio agency, is exiting after more than five years. Risley made the announcement on LinkedIn earlier today. He said it has been the 'professional privilege of my career to launch, scale and nurture a department that has become integral to the business' future.' Channel 4 confirmed his departure but declined to comment on succession plans. More from Deadline Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say "We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes" Alex Mahon Writing Debut Novel 'The Rich Bitch Club' & Pitching To TV Producers After Ending Stint As Channel 4's Highest-Paid CEO International Insider: AI - Friend Or Foe?; Guard Change At Channel 4; Canneseries Report Based in Leeds, 4Studio creates social content for Channel 4 across platforms and strikes commercial deals. The studio has been talked up by departing CEO Alex Mahon in recent years, who has placed digital front and center of Channel 4's strategy. The network recently had its first YouTube show, Tapped out Prank Stars, piloted on linear, while Risley steered its first-of-a-kind move to make popular soap Hollyoaks available on YouTube and helped launch numerous other channels. Risley listed his achievements as 'establishing Channel 4 as the leader in broadcaster-led social and YouTube strategy,' 'helping to create dozens of job opportunities with the vast majority based outside of London' and 'scaling global social audiences in their billions.' A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'Matt has been an integral figure in the launch and growth of 4Studio. He has led the development of 4Studio into a social powerhouse, generating new revenue streams, collaborating with teams across the business to drive billions of social views to Channel 4 content annually, and creating dozens of roles that have introduced the next generation of digital talent into the business and industry – the vast majority of which are based in our Leeds National HQ.' Risley's exit comes just a few days after he appeared on a Creative Cities Convention panel alongside YouTube UK boss Alison Lomax, who discussed the barriers breaking down between traditional TV and YouTube. His departure comes two weeks after Mahon revealed she was exiting the network she has run for eight years. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crisis? What Crisis? ITV Studios Bosses Reject Talk Of Gloom In The Scripted Market But Note British Limited Series Are Under Threat
Bosses at ITV Studios have rejected the notion that there is a UK scripted funding crisis while batting away questions around sale rumors. Speaking at the Creative Cities Convention (CCC), MD Julian Bellamy and sales boss Ruth Berry struck an upbeat tone as they refused to accept that the drama market is in crisis despite it being labelled as such by numerous industry figures. More from Deadline Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say "We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes" 'Saturday Night Live UK' Commissioner Says British Version Is A "Risky Proposition": "We Don't Have That History Of Live Comedy In The UK" Paramount UK & All3Media Bosses Debate Trump Tariff Plan Spooking The Industry: "Let's Keep Calm & See What Happens" 'I don't subscribe to the word 'crisis',' said Bellamy, flagging that three of the five biggest British dramas in the past year were made by ITV Studios – four if you include The Gentlemen from newly acquired Moonage Pictures. 'You have to take a step back. We have a pretty strong track record and scripted is a key growth engine.' Bellamy did note that the U.S. co-pro market is 'challenging' and 'very British limited series that don't have a lot of international resonance ' are becoming harder to get off the ground, as he joined industry calls for an enhanced high-end TV tax credit. Concurring with Bellamy, Berry said 'crisis feels a strong word' but it's all about level of risk. 'Cost inflation has outstripped sales inflation,' she noted. 'You have to take a portfolio view and that is where we are very fortunate with the scale of our business. It's not a crisis but it's about being careful across the group and being on top of market trends to make the decisions that we are.' ITV Studios hits over the past year or so include the likes of Mr Bates vs the Post Office, although that one remains unsold in most territories. The super-indie has spent big on scripted outfits in recent months, buying Moonage, Eagle Eye Drama and Sherlock maker Hartswood Films. Yesterday at the CCC, the writer of Mr Bates, Gwyneth Hughes, suggested there is 'overstaffing' of TV crews and these crews should slim down in order to save money. While striking a more optimistic tone, Bellamy said producers could 'develop fewer, bigger things for market or take them slightly later' to commissioners in order to act smarter and negate rising costs. Sale rumors Rumors swirl around the sale of ITV Studios, with both RedBird IMI and Banijay understood to be showing keen interest. Bellamy declined comment on the sale talk but said he is happy with the production arm's current scale following the splashy scripted indie buys. He said 'we don't engage with most approaches for investment and are highly disciplined.' 'We're open to any opportunities to build out our studio group but we're comfortable with our scale,' he said. 'The scale debate was happening when I started nine years ago. To me it's still fundamentally quite straightforward – if you are looking to scale it has to be the right fit.' Bellamy and Berry were speaking on the second day of the CCC before BBC Director General Tim Davie. Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
