Where Sky goes, M-Net and MultiChoice in South Africa over the past 15 years have often followed, so whether the creation of Sky Studios might lead to MultiChoice and M-Net establishing something like the M-Net Studios or MultiChoice Studios, remains to be seen.
Sky, through Sky Studios as an in-house production unit, wants to become the leading TV production force in the United Kingdom and across Europe and undet the Sky Studios plan, Sky's investment in original TV series will more than double from the current level over the next 5 years.
Gary Davey, Sky in the United Kingdom's managing director of content, will head up Sky Studios.
"This exciting new venture is perfectly timed to meet the growing content demands of our customers," says Gary Davey in a statement.
"We look forward to working with the whole creative community, from individual creators to the big independent producers to produce more of the original content our customers love."
Sky says that Sky Studios will produce and develop original content across all genres, with a focus on drama and comedy. "With the emphasis firmly on quality, Sky Studios plans to double the amount of originals currently produced by Sky. It will work in close collaboration with local Sky leadership teams."
"Sky's increasing success with original productions, coupled with the ability to partner with NBC and Universal, puts Sky in a strong position to extend its leadership in this increasingly global, profitable, and strategically important area.
Sky Studios will create content for the TV channels carried on the Sky pay-TV service.
Now being owned by America's Comcast, it will also create content for NBCUniversal like the NBC's broadcast and pay-TV channels in the United States, as well as for Universal Pictures, and NBCUniversal International Networks and the TV channels that it supplies to pay-TV operators in Africa, like MultiChoice running the DStv service.
"This is a transformational development for us," says Jeremy Darroch, Sky CEO, in a statement.
"Sky Studios will drive our vision to be the leading force in European content development and production. Our ambition is to make Sky Studios famous for quality content and a place where Europe's top creatives will want to do their best work."
"Being part of Comcast enables us to increase our investment and to maximise the advantage and leverage of the Sky Group and our partners, NBCUniversal. This is a clear signal of Comcast’s belief in our commitment to producing the best original content in Europe."
Jude Law fantasy drama series
Production will begin in July on Sky Studios' first international project, a 6-episode drama called The Third Day, a co-production with HBO and starring Jude Law.
Set on a mysterious island off the coast of Britain, The Third Day will tell the story of Sam who encounters the island's secretive inhabitants and their strange rituals.
Fantasy and reality began to blur for Sam, triggering past traumas, and bringing him into conflict with the islanders.
The Third Day will be filmed in the United Kingdom and broadcast in 2020.
