Beyond Rights shifts financing strategy with hire of Sky, CJZ alum

Steve Jones

Beyond Rights has landed former Sky and CJZ Productions exec Steve Jones to oversee the company’s development efforts.

Jones takes the newly created role of SVP of development and will focus on returnable, popular factual series. He will work with established production partners to pitch IP to broadcasters for pre-sale, co-production and commission.

After securing a key broadcaster, Beyond Rights will then manage any additional financing required for production and distribute all finished series and formats globally. He reports into Beyond Rights’ CEO, David Smyth.

Jones was commissioning editor & executive producer for entertainment & factual at UK-based Sky 1, having also held roles including exec producer of factual & fact ent at Discovery Networks Europe.

He has also had stints at CJZ Productions, Endemol Southern Star and co-founded Big Little Fish Television in 2019, the UK indie he co-ran for more than two years.

Smyth said: “Our world is changing rapidly and obtaining the rights and the right content for our business is increasingly challenging. So, we have decided to develop a new content pipeline to sit alongside our terrific acquisitions from third-party producers, as well as the content we have from the wider Beyond group.

“Steve is a hugely experienced executive, bursting with ideas, and is an exciting addition to our team. He will bring new creativity and thinking to the business and in return, he will be able to draw on the experiences, relationships and international market knowledge of our sales and acquisitions teams, who are well placed to know what buyers want.”

Jones added: “Beyond Rights is taking a very interesting strategic step with this new role. I am delighted to be working with David and the wider teams – and look forward to securing our first greenlight.”

The appointment comes two weeks since Banijay struck a deal to buy Australia-based Beyond International, handing it more than 8,000 hours of programming such as MythBusters, as well as Back In The Grooveoutfit, Beyond Productions.