A new BBC report says the broadcaster’s award winning Natural History Unit (NHU) – the team behind hit series such as Dynasties II, The Green Planet, Planet Earth III and Mammals – has delivered a multi-million boost to Bristol’s economy and contributed to the wider region’s “media boom”.
The BBC Bristol Economic Impact Report was launched to coincide with this week’s Creative Cities Convention in the city and outlines how the NHU has acted as “a powerful catalyst for growth in the city’s production sector”.
The unit is part of BBC Studios, the broadcaster’s commercial arm which also owns a host of production companies, manages format sales and merchandising of BBC-owned shows, and operates a growing line-up of commercially funded channels both overseas and in the UK.
In addition to making shows for the BBC, the NHU is the studio behind Prehistoric Planet, the Apple TV+ series in which Sir David Attenborough looks at the lives of dinosaurs.
According to the report, natural history production accounted for 44% (£127.2m) of the Bristol screen production industry’s overall £288m turnover in 2022. It also states that The Green Planet alone delivered a £7.4m boost to the UK economy between 2019 – 2022.
According to the report, over 75% of BBC natural history commissions which aired between 2019 to 2022 attracted inward investment. It states that, over that period, for every £1 the BBC’s Licence Fee funded Public Service arm invested, £1.86 was invested by a third party.
The BBC is the largest employer within Bristol’s TV and film industry and is a significant player in the region’s production sector with part of its Factual Entertainment division – responsible for shows such as Antiques Roadshow and Countryfile – also based in the city.
Kate Phillips, BBC Director of Unscripted said: “We are excited to share the findings of this report. All the critical roles the BBC seeks to play for our audiences – in pursuing truth with no agenda, backing British storytelling, and bringing people together – are exemplified in Bristol.
“The BBC’s public service commissioning, BBC Studios NHU and Factual Entertainment Productions have all helped to boost the city’s economy and employment. We hope that the inspiring developments this report showcases are just the start of the next chapter in the city’s success story.”
Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “Bristol is home to the best wildlife filmmakers in the world.
“It’s the global hub of natural history production and programmes produced here have reached hundreds of millions of people in all corners of the planet.
“Quite simply, content made in Bristol has inspired a global audience to love and understand the natural world; it’s transformed the way an entire generation view and interact with the nature.”