ITV buys majority stake in TV company behind BBC hit drama Line of Duty

BROADCASTER ITV yesterday bought a majority stake in the company behind one of the BBC’s biggest hits - Line of Duty.

WORLD PRODUCTIONS will become part of ITV Studios under the deal.

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The production company has also produced Save Me for SKY ATLANTIC and Born To Kill for Channel 4.

Its Creative Director Simon Heath said with ITV’s support, it was “looking to build on the success of the last five years and expand into the future”.

Julian Bellamy, Managing Director of ITV Studios, the broadcaster’s production division, said World “has made a name for itself as one the country’s foremost drama producers with a raft of brilliant, stand out series”.

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Last month ITV reported a 6 per cent rise in annual pre-tax profits to £641million.

It did this, despite falling ad revenues, thanks in part to the success of ITV Studios, which saw revenues jump by a third to £1.24billion.