BBC Studios is getting serious about licensing, and has promoted veteran exec Andrew Carley to the newly created role of Director of Global Licensing.
The move will see Carley empowered to create and manage a long-term strategy which, among other projects, will include opportunities for the BBC’s highly successful pre-school show Bluey.
“The BBC has long been synonymous with high quality children’s programming,” says Carley. “To be given the opportunity to use my experience to help build a long-term global licensing program around such fantastic programming, including ‘Bluey,’ is hugely exciting. ‘Bluey’ has many of the rare attributes associated with evergreen global preschool success stories. With that potential comes the opportunity to build on its success and cement BBC Studios’ position as a global player in licensing and consumer products.”
In his new position Carley will be tasked with creating and leading a five-year strategic growth plan for BBC Studio’s licensing business globally, but he will also be working in concert with the BBC’s existing regional licensing teams. Carley will report directly to the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Nicki Sheard.
“I’m delighted that Andrew is taking on this new role to help us fuel the growth of ‘Bluey’ which is quickly gaining worldwide fame,” said Sheard. “His experience of taking pre-school brands global will be invaluable in unlocking the potential of ‘Bluey,’ and his strategic approach to licensing will benefit BBC Studios’ wider portfolio of hero brands.”
Carley joined BBC Studios fairly recently, taking on the job of Senior Vice President of Sales last year. Carley has been working in the licensing industry for more than 25 years.
Prior to joining BBC Studios, Carley was Executive VP of Global Licensing at Entertainment One, which built a highly successful global licensing program around children’s shows like “Peppa Pig” and “PJ Masks.”
Carley began his career at Marks and Spencer and later worked with the licensing agency CPLG. After leaving eOne in 2019, around the time of the acquisition by Hasbro, Carley set up his own brand consultancy TILT Licensing, but was quickly recruited by the BBC.