ITVW trebles indie fund
- Published: 27 June 2008 10:09
- Author: Emily Booth
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- Last Updated: 27 June 2008 10:12
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ITV Worldwide has tripled its development and acquisitions investment fund to grow its work with independent producers.
It is aiming to expand the relationships it has built with independent production companies. Key genres will be continuing drama and reality.
ITV Worldwide president and managing director Peter Iacono said: "It's all about programmes. We are looking to enhance our existing relationships and expand into new relationships.
"Our philosophy is to enable creative people to be creative – to make compelling entertainment for ITV Worldwide to distribute. Essentially the message to producers around the world is 'you do what you do best and we do what we do best.' We have seriously increased funds to co-finance and gap-finance productions."
Existing ITV Worldwide relationships include a 25% stake in producer Mammoth Screen, which has drama Bonekickers about to start on BBC1, plus exclusive first look deals with entertainment producers, such as Zig Zag, and drama producers, including Quickfire Media. It also has distribution deals with UK, Canadian and Australian producers.
Emmanuelle Namiech, director of acquisitions and co-productions at ITV Worldwide, said: "In extensively increasing our acquisitions budget we will have more opportunities to be involved with original and compelling programming brands with global appeal."
ITV Worldwide is the newly integrated business which combines the recently merged Granada International and Granada Ventures.
