Former Sky Sales Exec Who Negotiated 2019 HBO Output Deal Joins BBC Studios & UKTV

EXCLUSIVE: BBC Studios and UKTV have added to their acquisitions team with the Sky exec who negotiated the renewal of the HBO output deal in 2019.

Sophie Judge, a Sky vet who had been with the pay-TV giant for 15 years, replaces Rachel Bailey and is rejoining UKTV as Global Acquisitions Manager after a stint with the channel group in the 2000s. She will be responsible for sourcing and securing shows from third parties for BBC Studios-owned UKTV’s portfolio of free-to-air and pay channels and free streaming service U, along with BBC Studios’ global branded services. Recent buys have included Prison Break, The Chelsea Detective and MasterChef Australia. She joins a 14-strong team led by Senior Global Acquisitions Manager Harriet Armston-Clarke and will report into Global Head of Acquisitions Melanie Rumani. Bailey moved to Channel 4 to become Senior Acquisitions Manager over the summer.

Judge spent 15 years at Sky, working her way up from acquisitions exec to manager before leaving in July. She negotiated and acquired key series including Chicago Fire, Young Rock and American Auto, while leading on the renewal of the high-profile HBO output deal in 2019 for all European Sky territories. That deal runs down in its current form in 2026.

Rumani said: “We are a truly global team acquiring content for our extensive network of over 40 services around the world and I’m confident Sophie will make a huge contribution in continuing our success.” 

Judge added that UKTV and BBC Studios have a “reputation for delivering world-class content.”