Kick-off in the TV formats business for COPA90

The Client:  Since launching almost ten years ago, our client COPA90 has evolved to become a global media powerhouse with a combined cross-platform subscriber base of over eight million sports fans, creating fan-first, data-driven digital content. Backed by £12m investment, our client was launching their Content Studios, a new premium unscripted content division with a ready-made global audience of 8.5 million creators and influencers.

The Challenge: Our clients are deeply knowledgeable about the digital publishing market, but the premium global unscripted market was new territory. With over 20 years' experience advising unscripted television businesses, THRIVE was able to analyse the brief and offer strategic advice, as well as deliver an engaged longlist of world-class creative directors with a track record in selling premium content to a network of global buyers, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Hulu, and Disney+.

Our Approach: THRIVE carried out a deep-dive search of the UK market to find the best sports-obsessed Executive Producers in the unscripted market.

The Result: We successfully hired an award-winning creative leader known for a high-profile sports docu-series produced for Amazon Prime. THRIVE went on to work with the new Head of Studios to build his development team, who managed a slate of paid developments.

"The team at Thrive worked hard to really understand our business and objectives before helping us identify and shape the role that we needed to meet them. As a result we not only got quality candidates, tailored to our requirements but a process that gave us options and food for thought. The process was run diligently and impeccably and we are looking forward to continuing the partnership as we continue to invest in and build out our team”