BBC Studios has become a minority stake investor in U.K.-based Samphire Films, specialized in premium documentary and constructed factual brands.
Samphire was founded in 2024 by Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action creator Sophie Leonard and BBC Documentaries commissioning editor David Hodgkinson. The company is in production on yet-to-be-announced large-scale factual formats and documentary projects for buyers in the U.K. and U.S.
BBC Studios now gets a first look for global distribution and format rights.
Kate Ward, managing director for factual productions at BBC Studios, said: “Sophie and David are the next generation of creative leaders, and we are excited to be backing great British talent. They have a proven track record in delivering ambitious and compelling unscripted television spanning premium documentary to globally renowned factual formats. Investing in Samphire, which in such a short space of time has built a slate that speaks both to their global ambitions as well as their extraordinary creative breadth, was irresistible. We can’t wait to have them as part of the family at BBC Studios and look forward to a hugely productive partnership.”
Leonard and Hodgkinson said: “We’ve seen huge demand for our ideas and production expertise from both the U.S. and the U.K. and sought the right strategic partner to allow us to rapidly scale the business in response. We’re working with leading creative and commercial talent, building a forward-thinking production company to deliver groundbreaking programming that resonates with audiences globally. BBC Studios shares our commitment to innovation and creative excellence, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
