BBC Studios inks first-look deal with Big Owl Pictures, Oz firm led by WB alum Shaun Murphy

Shaun Murphy

BBC Studios has stuck a first-look deal with Australian production firm Big Owl Pictures.

The multi-year deal offers BBC Studios a first look outside of Australia on Big Owl Pictures’ slate of original factual entertainment and entertainment formats, and a commitment to co-develop paper formats via the BBC Studios global production network in territories including the US, UK, France, Germany and the Nordics.

Big Owl Pictures was launched last year by Warner Bros. Australia’s former head of TV, Shaun Murphy, with the backing of US private equity group, Balance Vector. It is focused on developing and producing all genres of unscripted content, as well as select scripted and film projects for domestic platforms and the international marketplace.

Murphy, who serves as CEO & executive producer at his company, spent six years leading TV for Warner Bros. Australia, prior to the merger with Discovery. Before that, he was executive producer at Shine Australia, with credits on shows ranging from The Masked Singer and The Bachelor, to Who Do You Think You Are and Australia’s Next Top Model.

“The ability for BBC Studios to take Big Owl’s IP onto the world stage is magnificent, they are truly unmatched with their quality of shows and range of genres,” praised Murphy.

This latest first-look format deal for BBC Studios follows other such recent agreements with Magnum Media, producers of The 1% Club; Jay Blades’ Hungry Jay Media; and a development deal with Joe Sugg’s Final Straw.