BBC Worldwide hires royalties collection specialist

BBC Worldwide has hired royalties collection specialist 560 Media to collect rights revenue on its behalf.

Under the terms of the deal, 560 Media will administer the BBC commercial outfit’s total global secondary collections, including those for the US and Canada.

560 Media will manage the collection of the international revenues accrued through the secondary television rights exploitation of BBC Worldwide’s content, including retransmission, educational off-air recording and private-copy levies.

560 Media CEO John O’Sullivan

Set up in 2015 to offer rights management services in a fragmented and increasingly complex marketplace, 560 Media’s recent client wins include ITV Global Entertainment and Discovery Communications, its first major broadcast client.

Nikki Touchard, global director of rights at BBC Worldwide, said: ‘John and his team are extremely knowledgeable in this sector and we were very impressed by the passion and commitment they demonstrated during our rigorous tender process. We are in no doubt that this dynamic company is best placed to manage our rights globally.’

John O’Sullivan, CEO of 560 Media, said: “BBC content has an extremely high secondary rights value, which makes this deal a real milestone for 560 Media. Despite our growing client base, which now numbers some of the UK’s most prestigious content-suppliers, we remain a boutique outfit, offering a highly personalised, customer-focused service. We help our clients maximise their revenues by unlocking the value of their secondary rights.”