Sky has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Blast! Films, the independent production company responsible for The Supervet, 999: What’s Your Emergency? and BBC Two’s The Route Masters.
Other famed productions include Hunger, Steve McQueen’s debut feature, Channel 4’s The Death of Klinghoffer and Bafta-winning drama Soundproof.
The company will continue to be led by Ed Coulthard who founded it in 1994 and will operate within the Sky group “as a distinct company” with Sky Vision, the broadcaster’s international distribution arm, becoming its distribution partner for all new programmes and formats.
Coulthard, said: “Sky really gets the Blast! Films DNA. As programme makers we are passionate about quality and this is a great fit for us as we continue to evolve the company.
“I’m really proud of the team we’ve built here and this deal allows us to continue to attract great talent, keep raising the bar and be ambitious about what we can achieve.”
Jane Millichip, Managing Director, Sky Vision commented: “Blast! Films has an incredible pedigree. Ed Coulthard is a first-class producer, and together with Claire Bosworth and team, they have a production slate that combines creative excellence with real commercial appeal.
“We look forward to working with them to build on their success in the UK and internationally.”