Beyond International
| Company type | Public (former) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television and film production |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Carmel Travers, Iain Finlay, Chris Ardill-Guinness, Phil Gerlach, Mikael Borglund |
| Headquarters | Artarmon, New South Wales , Australia |
Area served | Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, United States |
Key people | Mikael Borglund (CEO) |
| Products | Television shows, feature films, ancillary content |
| Parent | Banijay (2022–2023) |
Beyond International Limited operates as a global television and film production enterprise with a presence in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and the US. The company focuses on producing and distributing a wide array of television shows, feature films, and related ancillary content. Its vast library contains over 5,000 hours of programming spanning multiple genres such as drama, feature films, comedy, children’s shows, reality television, and documentaries.
Established in 1984 by founders Carmel Travers, Iain Finlay, Chris Ardill-Guinness, Phil Gerlach, alongside CEO Mikael Borglund, Beyond International initially produced the science and technology series Beyond 2000. This program was a commercial adaptation of ABC’s Towards 2000 and served as the company’s cornerstone series. In 2005, this flagship show was relaunched under the title Beyond Tomorrow.
Among its notable productions are globally acclaimed titles like MythBusters, Deadly Women, Beat Bugs, and Highway Thru Hell. Many of these properties are now owned by Banijay Entertainment. In 2016, Beyond International reported revenues of AUD 101 million with a net profit of AUD 5.6 million. The company’s main office is situated in Artarmon, New South Wales, Australia.
History
The origins of the company trace back to its founding team—producers Carmel Travers, Iain Finlay, Chris Ardill-Guinness; consultant Phil Gerlach; and accountant Mikael Borglund—who initially operated under the name CIC Productions to develop Beyond 2000, the program that inspired the company’s name. The series achieved international distribution success, including placements on the Discovery Channel in the US and a US version produced for Fox.
Early projects featured titles such as Just For the Record, Jack Thompson Down Under for Network 10, and Chances for Nine Network. A strategic collaboration with Discovery Channel resulted in multiple commissions, most notably a nine-season run of Invention and the highly popular series MythBusters.
In 2009, Beyond broadened its operations by acquiring Magna Pacific, a distribution firm purchased from receivership. A joint venture with Seven West Media named 7Beyond was formed in 2013 to create content targeted at North American audiences; productions included shows like My Lottery Dream Home and My Kitchen Rules. Beyond gained full control of 7Beyond in July 2020 by purchasing Seven West Media’s share.
The year 2020 also saw Beyond acquire TCB Media Rights following the collapse of Kew Media Group. TCB specializes in investment and distribution of factual programming including series such as Abandoned Engineering and Extreme Ice Machines.
Banijay announced its intention to acquire Beyond International in October 2022. The transaction was finalized on December 30, 2022, resulting in Beyond’s removal from the Australian Securities Exchange in January 2023. Following integration into Banijay Rights by August 2023, most staff members at Beyond’s distribution division (Beyond Rights) were made redundant.
On January 11, 2024, Mikael Borglund repurchased Beyond Productions from Banijay and its subsidiaries. This acquisition included all content developed during Banijay’s ownership period. Banijay retained rights to Beyond’s catalog predating 2022 and secured an exclusive five-year first-look distribution agreement for future productions.
Ownership
From 1987 until 2023, the company was listed on the ASX as a publicly traded entity. In 2008, FremantleMedia acquired just below 20% of the shares, thereby becoming the principal shareholder.
Television series
The catalogue of Beyond's productions created before 2022 is currently under the ownership of Banijay Entertainment. Some of the prominent series include:
- Auction Squad
- Backyard Science
- Beat Bugs
- Beyond Tomorrow
- The Adventures of Blinky Bill
- Chances
- Deadly Women
- Fire
- Halifax: Retribution
- Highway Thru Hell
- Love It or List It Australia
- MythBusters along with its related spin-offs
- Ocean Girl
- Selling Houses Australia
- Silversun
- Thunderstone
- White Rabbit Project
External links
- Articles with short description
- Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
- Television production companies of Ireland
- Television production companies of the United Kingdom
- Television production companies of Australia
- Television production companies of the United States
- Banijay
- Television series by Beyond Television Productions
- Irish companies established in 1984
- British companies established in 1984
- Australian companies established in 1984
- American companies established in 1984
- Entertainment companies established in 1984
- 2022 mergers and acquisitions
- RTL Group
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
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