Moira Ross and Canada’s Sphere Media Collaborate to Build a Formats Hub for U.S. and UK Creators
Moira Ross Partners with Sphere Media to Establish Canadian Production Hub
Moira Ross, the executive producer of the hit series KPopped, is set to venture to Canada for a new project in collaboration with Sphere Media. This partnership aims to develop a production hub focused on large-scale entertainment formats for U.S. and UK audiences.
Ross, a former showrunner for The Masked Singer, has secured an exclusive agreement with Sphere Media to work alongside their in-house creatives on original intellectual property. The initiative will emphasize dating shows, social experiments, and talent competitions.
The Canadian hub seeks to leverage local tax credit incentives, which could significantly reduce production costs for these large-scale studio formats. Co-producers from the U.S. and UK are anticipated to join, facilitating the sale of these formats to local distributors.
Sphere Media is recognized for its diverse portfolio that includes drama, comedy, feature films, and documentaries. The company has a successful track record of adapting international formats while also creating its own French-Canadian and English-language unscripted titles.
Based in Québec, Sphere has adapted over 40 formats in recent years, including Fremantle’s Got Talent, NBCUniversal’s One Question, and the BBC’s Dementia Choir. The company is also currently producing the second season of Drag Brunch Saved My Life for Bell Media’s Crave.
Ross brings a wealth of experience to the project, having recently served as an executive producer on Apple TV’s KPopped and the BAFTA-nominated Hannah Waddingham’s Home for Christmas. Her extensive résumé includes roles as showrunner for The Masked Singer and executive producer for So You Think You Can Dance. Previously, she led her own label, Panda, under the All3Media umbrella and played a critical role in launching Strictly Come Dancing in the UK, leveraging her expertise from Dancing with the Stars in the U.S.
In a statement, Ross emphasized the pressures producers face in today’s industry: “Producers everywhere are under intense pressure to deliver more with less – whilst pre-production budgets shrink and expectations keep rising. Canada feels uniquely positioned at this moment to be a global hub and partner with clear advantages in cultural alignment and budget competitiveness. I see huge potential to build exciting, ambitious, premium formats here where we can breathe life into fresh ideas and put every dollar on screen.”
Sphere CEO Bruno Dubé praised Ross’s creative leadership: “Moira’s creative leadership and deep experience in global formats make her an exceptional partner. This agreement will also allow us to unlock new creative and commercial opportunities with U.S. and UK partners while further strengthening Canada’s position as a hub for premium entertainment formats.”
He added, “In collaboration with Sphere’s highly talented roster of creators and producers – Kim Bondi, Marie-Pier Gaudreault, and Renaud Chassé – we will create ambitious content for the global market.”
