Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Crave
Crave is Bell Media's flagship Canadian streaming service, acquiring prestige drama and high-profile entertainment formats for English- and French-language audiences nationwide.
Current mandate
Crave, Bell Media's flagship streaming platform, is consolidating its position as Canada's primary destination for prestige drama and high-profile entertainment formats. The most visible recent strategic move is a wide-ranging deal with ITV Studios that delivers scripted titles including Coldwater, What it Feels Like for a Girl, and The Gathering alongside returning entertainment juggernauts such as Love Island All Stars, The Voice, and Hell's Kitchen. The arrangement reflects a deliberate dual-track strategy: anchor the service with awards-adjacent drama while using proven international formats to drive broad audience engagement across Crave and its sister linear network CTV.
On the acquisition side, Crave's recent activity spans both scripted and unscripted terrain. The service ordered the first international adaptation of Banijay Rights' physical comedy gameshow format Let's Play Ball, signaling appetite for format-driven Canadian originals. Unscripted acquisitions have also included paranormal-themed content, with Snooki: Paranormal Rookie landing on the platform. The seeking statement from Bell Media executives points to continued demand for Canadian and international drama series, French-language originals, and English-language prestige content, suggesting the scripted pipeline remains the strategic priority even as unscripted titles fill the schedule.
Material reaches Crave primarily through established industry relationships and formal co-production or format licensing arrangements. The ITV Studios deal exemplifies the kind of structured, multi-title partnership the platform favors. No unsolicited pathway is documented in tracked deal activity; every observed acquisition has moved through sales agents, format rights holders, or co-production partners. Producers seeking a Crave commission or acquisition are best positioned through representation or by attaching a recognized international co-production partner before approaching Bell Media's programming team.
Signature peaks
- 5-Title Slate ITV Studios Partnership — Coldwater, What it Feels Like for a Girl, The Gathering, Love Island All Stars, plus returning seasons of The Voice and Hell's Kitchen headed to Crave and CTV.
- Let's Play Ball First International Format — Crave ordered the first international adaptation of Banijay Rights' physical comedy gameshow format, signaling appetite for Canadian original productions.
- 62 Decision Makers Tracked — ScriptMatch tracks 62 decision makers across Bell Media and Crave, reflecting the platform's broad commissioning and acquisitions infrastructure.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Every tracked Crave acquisition has moved through formal industry channels: sales agents, format rights holders such as Banijay Rights, or structured co-production and licensing arrangements such as the Bell Media-ITV Studios multi-title deal. No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's observed deal activity.
- Deal structure
- Crave acquires Canadian streaming rights through format licensing deals, multi-title co-production and distribution arrangements with international studios, and direct commissions of original Canadian adaptations; budgets are not publicly disclosed in tracked transactions.
Recent acquisitions
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Let's Play Ball (Canadian adaptation)
Bell Media's Canadian streamer Crave has ordered the first international adaptation of Banijay Rights entertainment format Let's Play Ball
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[Snooki-led paranormal unscripted series; title not provided]
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Snooki: Paranormal Rookie
Market context
A landmark Bell Media-ITV Studios deal bringing scripted dramas and global entertainment formats signals Crave's push to compete at the prestige tier while broadening its unscripted slate.
Crave, Bell Media's flagship streaming platform, is consolidating its position as Canada's primary destination for prestige drama and high-profile entertainment formats. The most visible recent strategic move is a wide-ranging deal with ITV Studios that delivers scripted titles including Coldwater, What it Feels Like for a Girl, and The Gathering alongside returning entertainment juggernauts such as Love Island All Stars, The Voice, and Hell's Kitchen. The arrangement reflects a deliberate dual-track strategy: anchor the service with awards-adjacent drama while using proven international formats to drive broad audience engagement across Crave and its sister linear network CTV.
Common questions about Crave
Does Crave accept unsolicited scripts?
No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracked deal activity for Crave. Every observed acquisition has moved through sales agents, format rights holders, or structured co-production arrangements such as the Bell Media-ITV Studios deal. Producers and writers are best positioned by securing representation or attaching a recognized co-production partner before approaching Bell Media's programming team. Named open calls or portal submissions have not been observed in the tracked data.
What genres is Crave currently acquiring?
Crave's public seeking statement prioritizes Canadian and international drama series, French-language originals, and English-language prestige content. Recent activity also shows appetite for unscripted and format-driven programming, including the physical comedy gameshow Let's Play Ball and paranormal unscripted content such as Snooki: Paranormal Rookie. The Bell Media-ITV Studios deal further confirms interest in high-profile entertainment formats alongside scripted drama.
What festivals does Crave source content from?
ScriptMatch's tracked deal data for Crave does not document a consistent festival acquisition pattern. The platform's observed deals have come primarily through structured licensing and co-production arrangements, such as the Bell Media-ITV Studios pact, and format rights deals with companies like Banijay Rights. Producers premiering at major international festivals may still attract attention, but no festival-to-acquisition pipeline is directly documented in the available data.
How do I get my script in front of Crave?
Based on observed deal flow, the most reliable route to Crave is through a sales agent or established co-production partner. The platform's recent acquisitions have all moved through formal industry relationships, including the multi-title ITV Studios arrangement and the Banijay Rights format deal. Attaching a recognized Canadian or international production partner before approaching Bell Media's programming team reflects the access pattern documented in ScriptMatch's tracked activity.
What budgets does Crave typically work at?
Budget figures are not disclosed in Crave's tracked deal records. The platform's acquisition pattern, anchored by the Bell Media-ITV Studios deal covering prestige scripted dramas and major entertainment formats, suggests alignment with mid-to-high production values typical of international co-productions and established format adaptations. The Let's Play Ball gameshow order and unscripted acquisitions indicate flexibility across budget tiers, but no specific figures are available in the sourced data.
Is Crave currently active in the market?
Yes. ScriptMatch's pipeline shows 52 total records over the past 12 months and a latest signal dated September 2026, confirming ongoing market activity. The Bell Media-ITV Studios deal, the Let's Play Ball format order, and the Snooki: Paranormal Rookie acquisition all reflect recent commissioning and acquisition moves. The platform's dual mandate, covering prestige drama and broad entertainment formats, suggests continued active sourcing across both scripted and unscripted categories.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- New Line Cinema — New Line Cinema is Warner Bros.' genre-focused label driving franchise horror and animated IP, curre
- Neon — Neon is a prestige-leaning U.S. distributor with a documented run of Palme d'Or acquisitions, a grow
- Greenwich Entertainment — Greenwich Entertainment is a New York-based specialty distributor championing music documentaries, c
- ITV Studios — ITV Studios is a global content powerhouse distributing scripted drama, returnable formats, and unsc
Related reading
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