Sphere Media

Sphere Media began in 1984 with the foundation of Groupe Télé-Vision. Over the years, the company underwent several name changes and mergers, becoming Datsit Studios in 2012, and later merging with various other studios and companies through to 2022[4].

On 4th April 2022, as part of a broader rebranding and restructuring initiative, Sphere Media unified several of its acquired companies under its banner. Sienna Films, BGM, and GO Films transitioned to Sphere Media, which would now oversee the creation, production, and distribution of TV and film content. This restructuring was announced at MIPTV 2022[5][6][7].

Sphere Media has received funding from Bell Media, with the last recorded funding round on May 29, 2023, from a Corporate Round. Bell Media acquired a minority stake in Sphere Media to foster more bilingual content for its English- and French-language channels across Canada. The deal, which closed in late March 2023, allows Bell Media to tap into Sphere Media's diverse content portfolio, including notable productions like "Sort Of," "Transplant," and "The Porter." The exact terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it marks a significant partnership aimed at enriching Bell Media's offerings on its platforms such as the Crave streaming platform and CTV network. This move is aligned with Sphere Media's ongoing efforts to engage in more co-productions with American and European partners, following its acquisition of Cardinal producer Sienna Films and BMG in 2020, and to help French-language producers expand beyond Quebec.[8]

In April 2023, Sphere Media made a significant impact at the Canadian Screen Awards, securing 22 awards for its scripted content. This included a record 12 wins for the historical Black drama “The Porter” and seven wins for the queer comedy “Sort Of.”[9] In the same year, Sphere Media was honored with the Innovative Producer Award, presented by Lionsgate, at the 44th Banff World Media Festival during the 2023 Rockie Award Gala. The award is given to an independent producer of TV or digital media, recognizing Sphere Media's contributions through programs like “Transplant,” “Sort Of,” “Haunted Hospitals,” and “Gabby’s Farm.”[10][11]

On June 8, 2022, Sphere Media's original comedy series, "Sort Of," won a Peabody Award in the Entertainment Category at the 82nd Annual Peabody Awards[12][13]. The show, created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, also received three Canadian Screen Awards earlier that year for Best Comedy Series, Best Writing, Comedy, and the Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award[14]. Additionally, Baig and Filippo were honored with a Writer’s Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award in April[15]. The series was also nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New TV Series[16] and a Rockie Award for Best Comedy Series[17][18].

Jennifer Kawaja, serving as Sphere’s president of scripted and feature films for English Canada, has been involved in guiding several projects within the company. These projects include a half-hour television series titled “A Complicated Kindness,” being developed in collaboration with Amazon Studios, and a six-part hourlong environmental thriller “You Are Obsolete,” created in partnership with SAM Productions and Sweden’s TV4[19].

Furthermore, Sphere Media has entered into a first-look deal with Fab Filippo, under which they are working on two series, “One Another,” exploring faith, and “The Mozarts,” offering a comedic take on the Mozart family. The company is also developing an arthouse feature film with “Sort Of” co-creator and star Bilal Baig and is in the process of exploring a limited prequel series for “The Porter” with European partners.

The company's operations continue with a balanced approach towards project development, with around 20 active projects at any given time, half with broadcasters and half being developed internally. Sphere Media’s ethos of storytelling reflects a desire to create meaningful content that explores societal narratives, with a particular emphasis on the role of writers in the industry, especially in the context of the WGA strike and the unfolding of Bill C-11, both of which have implications for creators' rights and international content selling dynamics[20].

Notable productions by the company include "Transplant," "Cardinal," "The Porter," "Sort Of," and "Paranormal Revenge." In the realm of French-language drama, successes include "Les Honorables," "Aller Simple," "Cerebrum," and "Une autre histoire."[4]