ITV Studios Acquires Majority Stake In Eagle Eye Drama

ITV Studios has acquired a majority stake in Eagle Eye Drama, one of the UK's fastest growing drama producers which was launched in 2018 by Walter Iuzzolino, Jo McGrath and Jason Thorp, the team also behind international drama streaming service, Walter Presents on Channel 4.

Eagle Eye, which has been part of Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund since 2019, produces a wide breadth of scripted content from original dramas to adaptations of critically acclaimed international series for English speaking audiences, with its slate including a raft of hit returning shows including ITV’s Professor T and Hotel Portofino, Channel 4’s Before We Die and Suspect, as well as The Couple Next Door, which was Channel 4’s biggest ever scripted streaming launch.

As part of the deal, ITV Studios has also acquired a majority stake in the Belgium-based production services company Happy Duck, led by producer and director Dries Vos (Professor T, The Couple Next Door), which services Eagle Eye’s global slate.

Professor T, starring Ben Miller and adapted from the Belgian series of the same name, has sold into over 120 territories worldwide, with Hotel Portofino airing in over 70 territories across five continents and The Couple Next Door also clocking up very strong international sales.

Forthcoming series include PBS’ Patience, starring Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) and Ella Maisy Purvis (Malpractice) and Bookish, created by and starring Mark Gatiss for UKTV’s Alibi, while the company has multiple projects in development.

International distribution of new Eagle Eye series will be handled by ITV Studios.

www.itv.com