Licensed Tat to Skyrocket as BBC and ITV Look to Games

Major UK broadcasters BBC and ITV have both expressed interest in propelling established television IP’s towards gaming. The BBC cites potential in franchises such as Top Gear, Doctor Who and creepy children’s hit In The Night Garden under its multimedia arm BBC Worldwide. Speaking to MCV, Neil Ross Russell, managing director of children’s and licensing within the company gushed ‘œWe are open to conversations with anybody in games about all kinds of business models to see how we can extract more value”. However, despite wanting to submerge performing platforms as disparate as the DS, Wii, Facebook and the iPhone, Ross Russel denies “opportunistic licensing”.

Almost as a direct counter, ITV spoke similarly just days later on increasing their own licensed interactive output. In similar conversation with MCV, ITV Studios’ licensing manager James Chubb mentioned exciting properties like Yorkshire-based soap Emmerdale, and pub sport-come-gameshow Bullseye as lending themselves to “fun family-orientated gaming”. Alongside existing favourites like the woefully depressing I’m A Celebrity already pimped for play, Chubb hinted at “a substantial back catalogue” that the company had “put out to tender” looking to capitalise via the “hugely popular gaming sector”.

Gamers can look forward to Jeremy Clarkson’s Racist Racer, Wii Sports Dales and Upsy Daisy’s Minigame BONANZA on a variety of platforms later this year.