NBCUniversal is merging two of its television studios into one entity.
The company will combine UCP and streaming-focused Universal International Studios into a single unit called Universal Global Television. Beatrice Springborn, who has headed both UCP and UIS for the past several years, will remain at the helm of Universal Global TV.
Includes current UCP offers Ted, and Burbs And the next Five star weekend getaway For Peacock and Apple TV Cape of fearwhile UIS productions include All her fault, Jackal Day and break in, Which recently scored a serial order from Peacock. UIS also includes production companies Carnival Films, Working Title Television, Monkey and Heyday TV.
The merger of UCP and Universal International Studios follows similar moves (albeit on a larger scale) in the past year and a half at Disney (where ABC Signature became part of 20th Television) and Paramount (where MTV Entertainment and Showtime were combined into the relaunched Paramount TV Studios).
The merger will bring together the creative and business teams from both studios and form a single creative slate that NBCU hopes will better compete in the global market and maintain a commitment to producing scripted shows in the US and UK. Sources say the merger is expected to cause a small number of layoffs.
Among the departures are UCP development directors Jennifer Goars and Mark Velez and casting director Stephen O’Neill.
The Springborn leadership team will include UIS’s Kelsey Balance as Executive Vice President of the Global Series and UCP’s Rebecca Franco as the current Executive Vice President. Mark Behnke, Executive Vice President of Production at Universal Studio Group, will continue to oversee global productions, and Rob Howard will continue to head up London operations. Kimberly Hope, head of casting at Universal Television, will take on the role at Universal Global TV as well.
Universal Global TV’s roster of creators under studio deals includes Seth MacFarlane (Ted), Patrick McManus (Masked Devil: John Wayne Gacy), Nick Antosca (Cape of fear), Rachel Schuckert (Barbs(And Sue Nigel)Five star weekend getaway).
UCP, originally Universal Cable Productions, began in 2008 when it was spun off from what was then called Universal Media Studios. As the original name suggests, its initial assignment was to produce shows for NBCU’s cable channels, primarily USA and Syfy. In 2019, NBCU changed the “C” in UCP to stand for “content” as scripted shows on cable waned and streaming — including in preparation for the launch of Peacock — took priority.
Universal International Studios was formerly known as NBCUniversal International Television Production. It was launched in 2005. The studio was purchased Downton Abbey Producer Carnival Films in 2008 and formed a television joint venture with Working Title (which was already part of NBCU) in 2010. A name change to Universal International Studios occurred in 2021.
