The Latest Updates From Across
Zinc Media Group
Top Guns, Rob & Rylan, and Electric Violet Drive Global Entertainment Growth
Entertainment: Global Reach and High-Value Formats
We continue to build on our strategic entertainment pillar globally. Top Guns: The Next Generation launched this week on National Geographic, streaming on Disney+ and Hulu in the U.S., and airing in 24 territories, featuring unprecedented access to the U.S. Navy. Forbes noted ‘the docuseries pushes the limits of cinematography’. Rob & Rylan’s Passage to India launched to a 14% audience share, outperforming slot averages and prompting the BBC to commission a third series, A Greek Odyssey.
The Inner Circle premieres on BBC One from 4th October with a celebrity edition hosted by Amanda Holden, followed by 25 daytime episodes from 6th October. Commissioned by the BBC’s Entertainment and Daytime teams, the series refreshes quiz formats for Saturday evenings and early peak. A Soho Hotel press screening generated strong media buzz, reinforcing Zinc’s reputation for high-quality, audience-driven entertainment.
Meanwhile, Electric Violet continues to develop lucrative formats, including funded prime-time development for BBC One, with an FY26 pipeline of £11m. Zinc has also recently secured new buyers – Dave, Really, and Sky Arts, further expanding our reach.
Zinc Positioned Across the Full Factual Spectrum with Strong Ratings
Factual Market Leadership
Zinc has positioned its labels to address the full spectrum of the factual market, spanning PSBs, daytime, live, regional (outside London), and high-volume/low-tariff programming. Recent projects highlight this breadth: The Day Diana Died consolidated 1.1m viewers on C5, outperforming slot averages by 50% in viewers and 75% in share, and has already been sold to Ireland and Australia.
Other high-profile factual productions include Live Aid at 40, a landmark documentary series aired on BBC and CNN, and Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music, winner of a Canadian Screen Award, demonstrating critical acclaim alongside strong audience performance. Zinc’s labels also deliver regional programming outside London, including observational series following UK communities and public services, ensuring the Group captures high-value audiences across multiple segments.
This breadth allows Zinc to maximise commercial potential internationally, and secure high-margin opportunities, while consistently maintaining award-winning quality and broad audience reach.
Monetising 4,500 Hours of IP Through Formats, Digital, and DTC
Intellectual Property & Monetisation
Our IP strategy continues to generate value across multiple revenue streams, with Zinc monetising content through format sales, digital channels, merchandising, and a dedicated YouTube channel. Investments in Tern and Electric Violet focus on high-margin formats, supported by the Group platform, combining expanded in-house expertise and robust systems.
Strategic commercial partnerships with Fremantle and BBC Studios Distribution further extend our global reach. With over 4,500 hours of IP catalogued and a direct-to-consumer proposition in development for 2026, Zinc is creating recurring revenue and maximising shareholder value. Together, these initiatives demonstrate the scalability, international reach, and longevity of our IP portfolio.
AI and Immersive Experiences Showcase Zinc’s Creative Leadership
Innovation & AI
Innovation remains central to our offering. The Dreamer, the sequel to the Lewis Hamilton ad, featured Kimi Antonelli and used AI imagery and holograms to explore new forms of storytelling. Meanwhile, Supercharged 2025 was delivered for G42 in just eight weeks, creating an entire immersive world from concept to reality and integrating AI at every stage, from hospitality to the story on stage. This reinforces Zinc’s technology and innovation leadership and its ability to deliver high-margin, experiential content both in the Middle East and globally. Watch here.
£4m Recognised in H1 as Middle East Growth Accelerates
Middle East Expansion
Zinc recognised over £4m in H1 from regional Middle East activity and has built a £10m pipeline. This includes The Edge’s largest-ever commission for a feature-length film in Saudi Arabia, marking a major milestone for the Group’s production capabilities in the Kingdom. The project highlights our ability to deliver high-quality, large-scale productions tailored to local audiences while meeting international standards.
The Group has also entered a production partnership with Media City Qatar, invested in in-country teams, and will open a new Saudi office in Q4. In addition, three MOUs with Saudi partners for co-development and co-production underscore our strategy to deliver premium content in high-growth markets while creating sustainable commercial pipelines.
Zinc Shapes Industry Thinking on Commissioning and Consolidation
Industry Leadership: Edinburgh TV Festival
Zinc continues to shape industry thinking. At the Edinburgh TV Festival, CEO Mark Browning described UK commissioning as ‘medieval’, highlighting the need for consolidation to reduce costs, unlock more creative funding, and deliver higher-quality content. He argued that a more modern, consolidated approach could create stability, enable greater investment in creative talent, and support the production of world-class content across genres.
This perspective was further explored in Mark’s Broadcast op-ed, where he called for the industry to embrace strategic consolidation, invest in sustainable commissioning models, and rethink outdated processes that limit creativity and efficiency. By leading this conversation at major industry events and through thought leadership platforms, Zinc demonstrates its influence, positioning the Group as a market-shaper committed to driving long-term growth, higher-quality output, and innovation throughout the TV ecosystem.
Market Insights
Reflections on shiny floors
Following our interim results, Edison Group highlighted Zinc’s strong H1 2025, with revenues up 72% and adjusted EBITDA of £0.9m (H1 2024: -£0.7m). Edison notes that mid-term targets of £50m revenue and £5m EBITDA are increasingly feasible, while Zinc’s current valuation remains below sector comparables.
Edison reported that our three-pronged growth strategy is progressing well. In Entertainment, The Inner Circle quiz is set to air and Electric Violet is building a strong market presence, with an £11m pipeline. In the Middle East, production has started on a major Saudi cultural documentary, with a £10m pipeline. In IP, over 4,500 hours have been catalogued, and infrastructure investments target £1.5m in high-margin IP revenue by FY28.
You can read their full research report here.
Sharing Insights
Mark Browning talks to The Business Case
Zinc CEO, Mark Browning, was recently featured on The Business Case podcast, where he shared insights on contemporary topics and key issues shaping the business landscape in the UK and beyond.
In a wide-ranging conversation, they discussed Mark’s leadership of Zinc since taking charge in 2019 and the transformation he’s led, Zinc’s growth and success under his tenure, the Group’s prospects for the future, and how we’re navigating the complexities of the ever-changing media landscape.
You can listen to the podcast here.