BBC Studios Appoints Global Director for Gaming & Interactive
BBC Studios announces Marina Mello has been appointed as Global Director for Gaming & Interactive for BBC Studios Brands and Licensing.
Reporting into Managing Director of Consumer Products and Licensing Stephen Davies, Mello will have responsibility for developing and delivering the global gaming and interactive strategy and spearheading commercial activities in this space for key BBC Studios brands including Bluey, BBC Earth, and Doctor Who.
With experience across both Television and Gaming, Mello was most recently Chief Commercial Officer at Bossa Games, a BAFTA winning independent game developer and publisher, known for innovative games such as ‘Surgeon Simulator’ and ‘I Am Fish’. Prior to her decade long stint at Bossa, she managed a range of commercial and strategic projects for Shine Group, working on brands such as ‘Masterchef’, ‘The Biggest Loser’ and ‘Spooks’, amongst many others.
BBC Studios Brands and Licensing team, under President Nicki Sheard, extend audiences enjoyment of their favourite programmes and brands through innovative partnerships and licensing of ideas and characters.
The division has seen huge success in the gaming sector, including the recent launch of Bluey’s first-ever video game
on console which featured in BAFTA’s Best Games of 2023, and the mobile game Bluey: Let’s Play! which has been
downloaded by over 33 million players to date, reaching #1 in the App Store charts in the UK. Overall, over one
million hours were enjoyed by families playing Bluey video games in 2023 alone.[1]
The division has also managed several global partnerships including Doctor Who on Fortnite Creative and BBC Earth’s Frozen Planet II on Minecraft. Frozen Planet II Minecraft world was downloaded by millions of users across over 116 countries. Planet Earth III and the Shark onesie remain the most popular downloads of all time on Minecraft Bedrock.
Stephen Davies, Managing Director of Consumer Products Licensing, BBC Studios said: ‘Marina brings with her a rare blend of both Television and Gaming experience which makes her the perfect candidate for this role as we look to expand BBC Studios’ presence in the exciting and rapidly developing Gaming ecosystem.’
Marina Mello added: ‘I’m delighted to be joining the teams at BBC Studios and to combine my love and experience in TV with my Gaming expertise. BBC Studios offers a wealth of brilliant, world-renowned IP and brings together dedicated fans. I look forward to bringing new games and interactive experiences to our audiences around the world.’
[1] Source: Yonder Consumer Survey (February 2023), UK, US, AUS, n=3000, BBC Studios Sales Data
