Zai Bennett to swap Sky for BBC Studios

Zai Bennett is swapping Sky for BBC Studios after a decade at the pay-TV giant, KFTV's sister site Broadcast has revealed. 

Sky’s managing director of content for UK & Ireland is replacing Ralph Lee in an expanded role of chief executive and chief creative officer of BBC Studios Productions in November following a high-profile and international recruitment drive. 

With Lee leaving BBCS in April, the enhanced role will see Bennett have oversight for the company’s stable of UK and international production divisions. This includes blue-chip Natural History Unit, owned labels and invested indies across its global entertainment, factual, scripted, kids and family and audio genres.  

As stated in BBCS’ wide-ranging job spec, he will be tasked with bringing a creative-first approach to power the production business – building high-value, distributable content and IP, maintaining BBC returning series and key brands, winning new commissions and business, and growing BBCS’ international format development pipeline in existing markets and untapped territories.  

One of his pivotal tasks will be to continue BBCS’ position as a leading producer of tentpole original streamer series, whilst continuing to be the biggest supplier of content to the corporation. 

He will join BBCS’ executive committee and report into chief exec Tom Fussell, who said his “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,” Fussell added.  

“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.” 

Bennett said: “BBCS 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.  

“Tom’s 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.” 

Staff at Sky and BBCS have been informed of the changes in the last hour and it is not expected he will be replaced at Sky.

In an internal memo, seen by Broadcast, Bennett thanked the “amazing producers, talent, writers, and directors on a huge variety of shows and films across my time here”, as well as his colleagues, “especially all the genre leads and programme strategy teams”.  

“TV and film are a team sport and any success we’ve had is down to all of them alongside the phenomenal Sky machine in taking our shows and services to market,” Bennett added. “We’ve definitely made sure there is something on screen for every Sky customer.  

“As I look ahead to the next year on screen, we have one of the strongest lines ups ever, so now is the perfect time for me to move on. I want to say thank you to Cécile and all the teams I have had the pleasure of working with over the years – I know that they will all keep pushing our content even harder.” 

In a separate memo, Sky Studios chief Cécile Frot-Coutaz highlighted Bennett’s myriad achievements at the pay-TV giant having joined in 2014 to initially lead Sky Atlantic. He later became director of programmes before his elevation to MD of content in 2019. At Sky, he has commissioned tentpole dramas including Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Patrick Melrose, This England, Bulletproof and Discovery of Witches as well as hit long-running comedy Brassic among many others. 

“It’s hard to overstate Zai’s contribution to Sky over the past decade,” Frot-Coutaz said. “He was integral to the launch of our first foray into premium scripted television with Fortitude in 2016.  

“The series set a new benchmark for what Sky originals could be and really was the foundation from which brand-defining hits like Chernobyl and Gangs of London would later grow. 

“Never one to shy away from taking big swings, Zai was also a driving force behind taking Sky Arts free-to-air – working with Phil [Edgar-Jones] to ensure access to high-quality arts programming was available to everyone – and lead on the move to bring original factual programming back to Sky with the launch of Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime and Sky Nature.  

“Beyond Sky, Zai has also made a significant impact on the wider industry by spearheading new initiatives like the Coalition for Change to support freelancers in the industry and has been a constant champion of our commitment to support creative diversity in storytelling. 

“On a personal note, I know we will all miss working with Zai. His endless humour, bounce and genuine belief in better will leave a lasting legacy at Sky.” 

This story originally appeared on our sister site Broadcast

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