Zai Bennett, the Managing Director of Content at Sky is to join BBC Studios Productions as its new CEO and Chief Creative Officer.
Bennett will lead all of BBC Studio’s UK and international production units, including owned labels and invested indies. This spans Global Entertainment, Factual, Scripted, Kids & Family and Audio genres.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the powerhouse that is BBC Studios Productions this autumn,” said Bennett.
“BBC Studios Productions has a special place in the production ecosystem, upholding the BBC’s unique purpose and values in everything they do, while marrying this with creative commerciality to help export the BBC’s brand around the world as a champion for the highest quality programming in every genre. I couldn’t be more thrilled to join Tom [Fussell]’s team, his ambition and plans for BBC Studios are clear, exhilarating and infectious. I can’t wait to work with him and the world-class creative teams across all the genres and divisions to help keep driving BBC Studios Productions’ growth and stature around the world.”
He’s been brought in to build high value, distributable IP, maintain BBC returning series and key brands, secure new commissions and expand its international format pipeline.
At Sky, he is responsible for its portfolio of entertainment services such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max, Sky’s premium brands, Sky Cinema and Sky Kids as well as Sky’s free-to-air services like Sky Arts.
During his tenure, he’s ordered dramas including Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Patrick Melrose, This England, Bulletproof and Discovery of Witches, as well as Brassic and Rob and Romesh Versus.
He also oversaw the launch of Sky Kids as a linear service in 2023.
Prior to Sky, he worked on the launch of Channel 5 and then moved to ITV, on the launch team for ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 and later becoming Director of the digital channels notably commissioning The Only Way Is Essex, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Celebrity Juice.
In 2011, Bennett moved to the BBC to become BBC Three’s fourth controller and commissioned Bad Education, Murder in Successville and People Just Do Nothing.
He takes up his new position in November and will report into CEO Tom Fussell, joining BBC Studio’s Executive Committee.
“Zai’s risk-taking creative hit-rate speaks for itself. He has impact and gravitas and can propel BBC Studios Productions even faster forward without losing the deeply engrained BBC ethos all who work here share,” said Fussell.
“His deep genre experience in scripted comedy and drama through to factual entertainment, documentaries, film and kids, coupled with the relationships he’s cultivated with the very best creative talent, will complement our production business growth plans and take us to the next level domestically and globally. I can’t wait for him to start.”
BBC Studios generated revenues in the last year of £1.8bn and a third consecutive year of profits of over £200m.
