BBC Studios appoints Sally Habbershaw as president of global distribution

BBC Studios has named former All3Media International exec Sally Habbershaw as its new president of global distribution, less than a year after she took up a similar role at Mediawan.

Sally Habbershaw

Habbershaw was today confirmed in a newly expanded London-based role responsible for leading the company’s worldwide content sales business and driving the commercial performance, strategic direction and global exploitation of BBC Studios’ content portfolio.

Habbershaw will report to Zai Bennett, BBC Studios global content CEO and chief creative officer.

The move comes months after Habbershaw was brought in by European media group Mediawan as chief distribution officer to lead a move of its distribution business to London. That was followed by a restructure of the Mediawan distribution team in the UK capital.

Prior to that, she spent almost a decade at All3Media International as exec VP Americas, a role created to capitalise on the rapid expansion of All3Media’s portfolio of more than 45 production companies. At AMC Networks, she led acquisitions and programming strategies that included internationally recognised series such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad, helping establish them as defining properties for audiences around the world.

She also held roles at AMC Networks, Viacom and Paramount-owned businesses and serves as a Bafta board member and deputy chair of Bafta North America.

Joining on September 29 and working with the company’s Scripted, Unscripted, Global Productions, Kids & Family and Audio leadership teams, she will aim to maximise the value of BBC Studios’ content investments, deepen relationships with broadcasters and streaming platforms, and drive new growth opportunities for the UK’s most awarded production company.

Bennett said: “Sally brings a rare combination of commercial leadership, creative instincts and deep global market expertise, alongside an exceptional track record of building partnerships and delivering growth across some of the industry’s most successful content businesses.”

Habbershaw added: “After 20 years in the US and, more recently, in France, coming home to do this work here matters to me. The content and the brand speak for themselves. What made the opportunity irresistible is the moment and the people. Zai has built a leadership team that is ambitious, thinks differently and is set on making a real impact.”

The news was first reported by Broadcast.