Ralph Lee’s division grows revenues by more than 50% after lockdown

Trying

BBC Studios’ production arm has ‘recovered well’ following the pandemic, posting record profit of £39m.

According to its annual results, the Ralph Lee-led division’s EBITDA quadrupled from a Covid-affected £9m the previous year. BBCS Production reported EBITDA of £14m in the pre-pandemic 2019/20.

Its performance was driven by a 56% increase in turnover – to a record £423m, from £271m the previous year – with new returning commissions including Apple TV+’s sitcom Trying and the BBC’s Morning Live.

These were among the 92 new BBC shows and 32 UK third-party programmes secured by the producer, which was responsible for a total of 1,400 hours over the 12-month period. Almost 70 of these hours comprised premium dramas including Time, Irish thriller Smother and Silent Witness, while other high-profile shows included BBC1’s Green Planet, BBC2’s Universe and BYUTV’s Canterville Ghost.

Chief exec Tom Fussell said the success of the production arm helped to propel distribution revenues, which topped £400 million for the third consecutive year.

He said: “This reflects continued success with key brands, including the Planet series, Doctor Who and Top Gear, as well as the benefits of increased investment in new titles, which included The Outlaws, Pursuit of Love, This is Going to Hurt and The Mating Game.

“Programmes like Strictly, Jimmy McGovern’s award-winning Time and the launch of the Earthshot Prize got audiences talking.”

In total, BBC Studios generated revenues of £1.6bn last year, up 30% on the 2020/21’s £1.25m. It returned £353m to the BBC, twice the £137m returned the previous year.

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