Reports suggest that Netflix is planning to set up a base of operations in London, with a new facility intended to create more content for the European market. Diego Bunuel, who used to work as head of documentaries for the French premium cable channel Canal+, is said to be heading up this new Netflix base.
The industry insider website The Knowledge broke this story, noting that Netflix already had a big presence in Europe: the iconic streaming service announced last year that it was involved with 90 productions on the continent, with plans to spend over a billion dollars on European projects in 2018. Having a base of operations on this side of the Atlantic makes a lot of sense, then, and it should allow Netflix to streamline these European productions.
As well as opening a production hub in London, The Knowledge’s report tells us that Netflix is also plotting to launch a post-production facility somewhere else in the UK. This should allow entire productions to take place in the UK, from the shooting stage all the way through to editing and special effects.
This isn’t the first time that Netflix has made moves to up production outside of the USA. The online streamer launched the Netflix Canada production company last year, with a five-year commitment to filming Candian projects.
The launch of these two UK bases is exciting news for content consumers here in Europe, but it could cause some concern for Britsh broadcasters. The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have already invested £125 million in a new Freeview app to try and keep up with the online streaming industry.
As we hear more, we’ll be sure to let you know.