Industry

Fremantle has officially announced the launch of Fremantle Sports, a new global business unit dedicated to sports content, signaling a major expansion into one of the world’s most dynamic entertainment sectors.

The new division will focus on non-scripted and factual documentaries, along with digital-first sports formats, developed in close collaboration with Fremantle’s Entertainment, Documentary, and Drama & Film teams. Fremantle Sports will serve as a key pillar in the company’s broader growth strategy, which has already seen major successes across scripted and documentary content.

Fremantle is no stranger to sports storytelling, with an impressive portfolio that includes 72 Films’ award-winning All or Nothing (Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur) for Amazon, UFA’s All or Nothing: German National Team, Fremantle Australia’s Matildas: The World At Our Feet for Disney+, and Wildside’s My Name is Francesco Totti for Sky. Other standout titles include UNDERWATER: Federica Pellegrini (Fremantle Italy), Los Williams (En Cero Coma for Netflix and ETB), and Dirty Sports: The Biathlon Scandal (Monster Films for TV2 Norway).

Owain Walbyoff has been named Director of Sports, tasked with leading Fremantle Sports’ global strategy. In this new role, he will forge partnerships with sports rights holders, brands, and talent, while securing first-look and co-production deals to grow Fremantle’s reach in the sports content space.

The initiative is driven by Fremantle’s top executives including Amelia Brown (CEO, Fremantle UK), Gabriella Carriere (Group Head of Strategy), Georgette Schlick (CEO, Fremantle Northern Europe), Jeff Hasler (President, Original Productions), and Mark Reynolds (Global Head of Documentaries and Factual).

Jennifer Mullin, Global CEO of Fremantle, commented:“Expanding our sports capabilities is an exciting next step in our growth strategy. With our talented network of labels, we already have a strong foundation in sports content. Fremantle Sports will allow us to tell captivating human stories behind the athletes and engage global audiences through bold and innovative storytelling.”