BBC Studios Acquires Spanish Producer Brutal Media

BBC Studios has invested in the Spanish producer Brutal Media, behind such titles as Asalto al Banco Central, The Academy, Welcome to Eden and I Love You Stupid.

The deal brings the total number of markets that the BBC’s main commercial arm has a production base in to 12.

Under the new agreement, Brutal Media will continue to develop and market its slate of original IP in Spain along with producing local adaptations of the unscripted and scripted formats in the BBC Studios catalog. BBC Studios will distribute and produce Brutal Media formats outside of Spain.

Founders Raimon Masllorens and Nèlida Sanchez will continue to lead the local team.

Isabel Durán, format sales director for the region, will transition to the new position of head of entertainment within the Brutal Media team.

Working across the unscripted and scripted space, Brutal Media’s latest work includes the recently announced original miniseries for Netflix Asalto al Banco Central and The Academy (Sony Pictures Television), Vintage (3cat), original film Killer Book Club (Netflix), the series Welcome to Eden (Netflix) and The Hockey Girls (Netflix, 3Cat), documentaries The End of the Storm (Sky, Liverpool FC) and Murder by the Coast (Netflix) and romantic comedy I Love You Stupid (Netflix). Brutal Media’s portfolio also includes the original formats This is Opera and This is Art, which were both broadcast in more than 70 territories. It has also produced This is Philosophy and Opera in Jeans and fiction programs such as Laia and Felipe and Letizia alongside the prime-time family-oriented factual shows El Paisano and El Foraster.

Jacob de Boer, executive VP of global entertainment at BBC Studios, said: “This agreement with Brutal Media is the natural next step for BBC Studios to expand our presence in the Spanish market. With their local expertise, strong local network and exciting development slate, Brutal Media is the perfect partner to produce the high-quality Spanish-language content that we know local and global audiences are looking for.”

Masllorens and Sanchez said: “We are proud to join the esteemed BBC Studios group, which served as a prestigious role model for us over the years with its renowned outstanding productions. Their catalog offers us new and exciting opportunities in both scripted and non-scripted content. The vision and values of BBC Studios are perfectly aligned with those upheld at Brutal Media. We look forward to becoming their arm in the Spanish territory, forging a partnership that promises to enrich both our endeavors and deliver premium content to audiences worldwide.”

Matt Forde, managing director for global entertainment at BBC Studios Productions, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Raimon, Nèlida and the talented team at Brutal Media to BBC Studios. Together with the announcement earlier this week about Werner Film Productions in Australia, bringing Brutal Media into our award-winning production network is testament to our commitment to supporting the world’s best local creative talent, identifying complementary expertise in some of the world’s most dynamic media markets and showcasing it to our partners and audiences on a global stage.”