Sport, Archive Formats, Acquisitions & New Talent

Oct 2025

Sport, Archive Formats, Acquisitions & New Talent content are all central to BBC Scotland’s linear schedules, BBC iPlayer and online offering. This range of content is enjoyed by audiences and offers producers the opportunity to reflect Scotland in all its diversity.

Over the past few years these genres have delivered successful titles including:

Factual: Limbs in the Loch: Catching a Killer, Street Gangs, Lena Zavaroni: The Forgotten Child Star, Showpeople: Licensed to Thrill, Icons of Style,Our Lives, This Farming Life, Beechgrove Garden & Landward
Sport Docs: Sir Alex, Icons of Football, Pitch Invasion: How the Scottish and Irish Changed Football & Walter: A Life in Football
Feature Documentaries / Acquisitions / Pre-Sale / Co-Investment: Dogs of War, Killing Escobar, Bill Douglas: My Best Friend,Long Live My Happy Head,Last Breath and Flint.

Before submitting pitches or proposals

Please consider and outline what makes your content unique, why it is important to produce this content now, why it is particularly relevant to audiences in Scotland (see note on Audience Research below), which audiences you will be targeting, how you will connect with younger and underserved audiences and when you’d suggest we broadcast/stream. Please include this information in your commissioning pitch or acquisition proposal.

Current opportunities

OUR LIVES

BBC Scotland, in partnership with Screen Scotland, is seeking proposals for three standalone 30-minute documentaries from Scotland-based producers for the acclaimed BBC Our Lives strand.

This new series of Our Lives will place a focus on providing an opportunity for emerging directors through targeted BBC & Screen Scotland funding and support (more detail in the brief).

All three films will be broadcast on BBC Scotland, BBC One (Network), and streamed on BBC iPlayer.

The brief, tariff information and details of the Emerging Director Initiative requirements can be found here

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 26th November 2025, 5.00pm.

All submissions must be made via BBC PiCoS to Tony Nellany, BBC Scotland, and should marked ‘Our Lives – Series 10’

CO-COMMISSIONING OPPORTUNITY: BBC DAYTIME & BBC SCOTLAND

BBC Scotland is working closely with the BBC Daytime team to co-commission content that drives audiences on iPlayer, whilst also serving network audiences across the day on linear and on BBC Scotland in peak.

BBC Daytime has a broad remit which covers a range of topics, across a large part of the linear network schedule, while the BBC Scotland channel has a focus on showcasing Scottish talent and contemporary stories. We’re looking for ideas that can service both audiences, this could be in the shape of a precinct, topic or hub format. In all cases expertise and purpose should be at the heart of the proposition as should a clear sense of distinctiveness in relation to existing titles on the BBC, and other services.

Any proposals with celebrities attached should have a driving narrative and the talent should appeal to both BBC Scotland and BBC Daytime audiences.

To help underpin our shared objectives, we have ringfenced a modest funding allocation for secondary development of ideas which both BBC Scotland and BBC Daytime believe warrant further investigation. This funding would not be for pilots, but instead to develop talent, initial casting, format development/testing, etc.

If you have pitches which you believe would work in this territory, please submit via BBC PiCoS marked for either Muslim Alim (BBC Daytime) or Tony Nellany (BBC Scotland), with ‘Co-comm’ in the title. Don't worry about submitting to both of us as we’ll share the ideas.

Please submit your pitches asap.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES & ACQUISITIONS

Feature Documentaries

Commission, Pre-sale, Co-Investment & Finished Project Opportunities

Since the launch of the BBC Scotland channel we have taken a broad approach to commission, pre-sale, finished and co-investment opportunities, and as such we are clear on the types of feature documentaries that deliver impact and value, both on linear TV and BBC iPlayer, for audiences in Scotland.

Our focus is on content that will help to attract younger and underserved audiences. We are looking for content that keeps audiences guessing and has them on the edge of their seat, or that re-shapes their view of a person, story or event that may feel somewhat familiar.

In all cases content should be fresh, bold and ambitious with a shooting and cutting styles that are carefully tailored to the story. Strong, surprising and/or unique characters that allow us a window into an unseen world continue to engage audiences.

Please submit proposals via email, along with your completed BBC Additional Programme Information Form, to BBC Scotland Acquisitions

Important information to consider before submitting pre-sale, co-investment or finished project for acquisition proposals:

1. Before we are able to consider your proposal we also need to receive, by email, a completed BBC Additional Programme Information Form.

2. Does your content comply with BBC’s Editorial Values & Standards (this applies to all content, regardless of source)?

3. If your content were to be acquired, will you be able to meet all compliance requirements, including completing a BBC Compliance Form? More details here.

4. Are you able to meet BBC Scotland’s Delivery Requirements, including all deliverables such as reporting documents and PR assets?

5. Are you able to provide proof of Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance that meets the BBC’s minimum cover requirements (details can be found on the BBC Additional Programme Information Form).

Genre: Feature Documentaries & Acquisitions
Format: Commission, Pre-sale, Co-investment, Finished Projects.
Platform: BBC Scotland channel & BBC iPlayer
Commissioner: Tony Nellany
Submit via email BBC Scotland Acquisitions, along with a completed BBC Additional Programme Information Form

ARCHIVE DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Archive documentary series such as Icons of Football, The Disasters/Scandals/Trials That Shocked Scotland and Scottish Cup Classics have all engaged on audiences on both TV & iPlayer, but we would also like to look at approaches to re-invent this genre.

Are there ways to explain, investigate and/or challenge thoughts and ideas about modern Scotland and the wider world by looking at today through the lens of the past? How do we bring the Scotland’s rich archive to life in a ways that rather than feeling just nostalgic also enlighten and interest younger audiences alongside traditional audiences?

Genre: Scotland Archive Docs
Format: Series and Singles: 30/60 mins
Tariff: £30k-£45k per hour
Platform: BBC Scotland channel & BBC iPlayer
Commissioner: Tony Nellany
Submit via: PiCoS

Tony Nellany

In his role as Channel Manager, Tony is focussed on continued development, delivery, management and success of the BBC Scotland television channel. He has been involved in the development of the channel since its inception and is passionate about delivering content that engages audiences in Scotland and beyond. Tony also has responsibility for acquiring scripted and non-scripted content and commissions archive formats and reversions, along with a mix of other programming.

Tony spent many years working in television production across news and current affairs, documentaries and features, including on a number of award-winning projects. He is also an experienced Executive Producer with credits across a variety of genre.

Before joining Multiplatform Commissioning, Tony worked with the BBC Scotland Executive Team in designing strategies to ensure the broadcaster continues to reach and serve its audiences well into the future.