Tom Fussell is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BBC Studios, responsible for the strategic development and leadership of BBC Studios. He heads up BBC Studios’ Executive Committee (SEC) and has a seat on the BBC Executive Board, reporting into Director General, Tim Davie.
Tom was confirmed as CEO in October 2021 after holding the interim position for 13 months. Prior to this Tom was Chief Financial Officer at BBC Studios, taking up the role in 2017, having held the same position at BBC Worldwide since May 2016.
Before joining BBC Worldwide, Tom was CFO of Shine from 2013 to 2015, leading a global finance function across 11 markets and successfully completing the sale of Shine into a new joint venture, as part of its merger with Endemol. Prior to this Tom spent three years at Harper Collins UK in a variety of commercial director roles, having previously been the Finance Director for Random House in the UK. Between 1997 and 2007 he held a variety of finance roles at the BBC, in BBC Production and Group Finance.
As the principal commercial arm of the BBC Group, BBC Studios – led by CEO Tom Fussell – is responsible for generating revenue and profits which are returned to the BBC to support the licence fee. The business receives no public funds.
In the last five years the BBC Studios has doubled revenues and profits with our latest Annual Report showing record-level revenues in 2022/23 of £2.1bn and profits of £240m. And the business has ambitious plans to double again by 2027/28 through organic and inorganic growth.
BBC Studios comprises two world-renowned business areas: a content studio (which produces, amplifies and distributes IP) and a channels & streaming business. Three quarters of the work for BBC Studios Content Studio now comes from outside the BBC, from partners such as Apple, Amazon, Disney and Netflix, while our Productions business remains a key supplier to the BBC, as well as creating content for other broadcasters.
In a nutshell: we’re able to take an idea from thought to screen and beyond, working with a wide range of expertise within our business as well as partnering with major media clients globally, including Amazon, AMC Networks, Apple TV+, Disney+, France Télévisions, Netflix, NHK, Nine Australia, PBS, NBC Universal, Warner Bros Discovery and ZDF.
BBC Studios Productions is a global content powerhouse with a unique breadth and range, creating high-quality, award-winning, ambitious content across an extraordinary range of genres and specialisms.
Creating content through its production units, wholly-owned production labels and invested indies, BBC Studios is able to take an idea from thought to screen and beyond. Find out more
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