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Bell Media
Bell Media is aggressively repatriating Canadian Hollywood talent and building an owned-content pipeline through its Northern Lights strategy and the March 2025 acquisition of London-based distributor Sphere Abacus.
Current mandate
Bell Media is in active expansion mode on two fronts simultaneously. Its Northern Lights production strategy prioritizes owning and controlling content destined for CTV, its cable channels, and the Crave streaming platform, while the March 2025 majority-stake acquisition of London-based Sphere Abacus gives the company a dedicated international distribution arm. Recent landmark deals with Seth Rogen (via Point Grey Pictures and Lionsgate), Elliot Page (Pageboy Productions), and Will Arnett signal a clear editorial direction: bring marquee Canadian talent back from Hollywood to produce scripted series in Canada. The gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry, greenlit for Crave and subsequently picked up by HBO Max in the U.S. with Sphere Abacus handling international distribution, is the clearest proof-of-concept for that model to date.
Over the past twelve months, Bell Media has maintained a steady cadence of multi-year talent agreements and co-productions. Elliot Page's Pageboy Productions is creating content for CTV and Crave, starting with the Slo Pitch comedy from Shaftesbury. Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures is attached to an upcoming scripted Canadian production. Co-productions with Fremantle (Match Game, hosted by Martin Short, shot in Montreal) and a co-commission with Versant's USA Network (Anna Pigeon, produced by Cineflix Studios, December Films, and Seven24 Films, adapted from Nevada Barr's novels) illustrate a pattern of structured partnerships rather than straight acquisitions. Sphere Abacus is being deployed selectively: Bell Media has stated it will not demand distribution on every project but will pursue it where strategically beneficial.
For producers and writers seeking access, the clearest pathway is through Bell Media's talent-deal framework. GM Carlyn Klebuc has stated publicly that the company wants to sign further multi-year talent agreements and has an existing pipeline it is working to fulfill. Projects with a Canadian creative nexus, a Crave or CTV platform fit, and international co-production or co-commission potential are best positioned. Unsolicited material is not a documented intake channel; attachment to or referral through established Canadian production companies with existing Bell relationships is the practical route in.
Signature peaks
- Seth Rogen, Elliot Page, Will Arnett Talent Repatriation Deals — Multi-year development and production agreements with Canadian Hollywood names, per recent coverage
- Majority stake, March 2025 Sphere Abacus Acquisition — London-based distributor acquired to expand international reach of Canadian content
- Own and control pipeline Northern Lights Strategy — Internal mandate to increase ownership of content across CTV, cable, and Crave
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Bell Media does not maintain a public open-submission channel. The practical access pathway is through established Canadian production companies with existing Bell relationships, co-production frameworks with international partners, or direct talent-deal structures for writers and creators with a demonstrable Canadian connection and a project suited to CTV, Crave, or Bell's cable channels. Sphere Abacus is available as a selective distribution partner for projects with international potential, though Bell has stated it will not attach distribution to every deal.
- Deal structure
- Bell Media structures activity primarily as multi-year talent agreements, co-productions with international partners (Fremantle, Lionsgate), and co-commissions with U.S. networks (Versant's USA Network). It also acquires finished formats and series at market screenings. The Sphere Abacus acquisition adds a distribution layer that Bell deploys selectively. Budget terms on recent deals have not been publicly disclosed.
Recent acquisitions
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Snake Oil (game show)
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Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (reality)
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Sphere Abacus (majority stake)
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The Office Movers (Season 3 order)
Market context
"We have a pipeline of talent who we need to work with. We would want to do more of those deals." — Carlyn Klebuc, GM, Bell Media
Bell Media is in active expansion mode on two fronts simultaneously. Its Northern Lights production strategy prioritizes owning and controlling content destined for CTV, its cable channels, and the Crave streaming platform, while the March 2025 majority-stake acquisition of London-based Sphere Abacus gives the company a dedicated international distribution arm. Recent landmark deals with Seth Rogen (via Point Grey Pictures and Lionsgate), Elliot Page (Pageboy Productions), and Will Arnett signal a clear editorial direction: bring marquee Canadian talent back from Hollywood to produce scripted series in Canada. The gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry, greenlit for Crave and subsequently picked up by HBO Max in the U.S. with Sphere Abacus handling international distribution, is the clearest proof-of-concept for that model to date.
Common questions about Bell Media
Does Bell Media accept unsolicited scripts?
Bell Media has no publicly documented unsolicited script submission process. The company's recent activity centers on structured multi-year talent agreements and co-productions with established Canadian production companies such as Shaftesbury, Cineflix Studios, and Seven24 Films. Writers seeking consideration are best served by attaching to or approaching through a recognized Canadian prodco that already has a Bell relationship, rather than submitting material directly.
What budgets does Bell Media work with?
Bell Media has not disclosed specific budget figures for its recent slate of deals, including the Sphere Abacus acquisition, the Seth Rogen Point Grey Pictures partnership with Lionsgate, or the Elliot Page Pageboy Productions agreement. Projects span formats from comedy series (Slo Pitch, Tom Green's Funny Farm) to drama co-commissions (Anna Pigeon) and game show acquisitions (Snake Oil), suggesting a wide budget range rather than a single tier.
Does Bell Media acquire projects from film festivals?
Festival acquisition is not a primary documented channel for Bell Media at this time. The company's recent deal flow is driven by talent agreements, co-productions with international partners such as Fremantle, and co-commissions with U.S. networks such as Versant's USA Network. Its Los Angeles Screenings acquisitions (Snake Oil, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, reported June 2023) indicate it does monitor market screenings for unscripted and format content.
How do you reach Bell Media decision makers?
Bell Media has 31 decision makers tracked across its organization, according to ScriptMatch data. The most publicly active executive on mandate is GM Carlyn Klebuc, who has spoken on the record about the company's talent-deal pipeline. President Sean Cohan, hired in October 2023, is driving international revenue growth and the Sphere Abacus integration. Industry events, established Canadian production company introductions, and co-production frameworks are the documented access pathways.
What genres is Bell Media prioritizing right now?
Bell Media's current slate skews toward scripted comedy and drama with Canadian creative talent at the center. Heated Rivalry (gay hockey romance, Crave and HBO Max), Slo Pitch (comedy, Elliot Page's Pageboy Productions), and Anna Pigeon (drama co-commission with USA Network) are active examples. Unscripted and format content remains part of the mix, as seen in Match Game with Martin Short and the Tom Green interview series, but scripted originals with international distribution potential are the stated strategic priority.
Is Bell Media currently active and making deals?
Yes. Bell Media logged 25 activity records in the past 12 months and one unique deal in the past 90 days, per ScriptMatch tracking, with the latest signal recorded in late June 2025. The Sphere Abacus majority-stake acquisition closed in March 2025. GM Carlyn Klebuc has stated publicly that the company wants to sign further multi-year talent agreements and has an existing pipeline of talent it is actively working to place into production.
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