Britbox Picks Up North American Rights to ‘A Woman of Substance’ Ahead of Channel 4 Premiere
Britbox has secured North American streaming rights to the new eight-part adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance, a sale that comes as Channel 4 prepares to air the series in two instalments. The acquisition positions britbox to carry the drama after international deals brokered by Banijay Rights at the London TV Screenings.
Britbox Secures North American Rights in Banijay Rights Deal
The streaming agreement for North America was negotiated by Matt Creasey, EVP Sales, Acquisitions and Coproductions at Banijay Rights, which handled international distribution for the series. The deal was one of several concluded ahead of Banijay Entertainment’s London TV Screenings event, where the sales team moved the programme to buyers in multiple territories.
The Forge produced the eight-part remake for Channel 4 and Banijay Rights has sold the show to a string of international platforms: Foxtel’s Binge in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, NPO in the Netherlands, COSMOTE TV in Greece, Cellcom TV Plus in Israel and RUV in Iceland. Banijay’s sales push directly enabled britbox to add the title to its North American catalogue and secured distribution in at least six other markets, demonstrating measurable global interest in the adaptation.
Channel 4 Confirms March Broadcast and Key Creative Team Members
Channel 4 will premiere the series with its first two episodes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm, with the remainder of the eight-part run available as a boxset following the debut. The timing places the launch within the broadcaster’s scheduled drama slate and gives international partners a clear window for their rollouts.
Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds lead the cast as older and younger versions of Emma Harte, the Yorkshire maid whose rise to wealth and power drives the story. The adaptation, written by Katherine Jakeways with co-writer Roanne Bardsley, was produced by The Forge. Executive producers listed on the project include Beth Willis, Joe Innes, George Faber, Katherine Jakeways and The Barbara Taylor Bradford Trust, with Charlie Palmer as producer. Direction was split across three blocks: John Hardwick directed block one, Samantha Harrie block two and Richard Senior block three. The series was commissioned by Rebecca Holdsworth, Commissioning Editor, and Gwawr Lloyd, Acting Head of Drama at Channel 4.
What makes this notable is the combination of a high-profile cast and a coordinated international sales strategy: the production’s pedigree and Banijay Rights’ negotiations have already translated into concrete distribution commitments in multiple territories, raising the prospect of a broad audience reach once streaming and broadcast windows commence.
Sales Momentum and the Wider Market Impact
Banijay Rights framed the transactions as a strong start to the London TV Screenings, citing intensive interest from global buyers. Matt Creasey characterized Britbox as an ideal North American home for the drama, emphasizing the show’s rags-to-riches narrative from 1911 Yorkshire to a New York penthouse as a unifying hook for international audiences. Executive producer Beth Willis highlighted the series’ potential to engage viewers with its central character, Emma Harte.
The combination of Channel 4’s scheduled two-night launch, a confirmed eight-episode structure and the slate of pre-sale agreements means distribution is largely in place before the UK broadcast. That sequencing—selling rights ahead of premiere—has directly enabled platforms such as britbox to secure early access, while also ensuring partners in markets from Australia to Iceland have programming lined up for their own release plans.
The adaptation joins a wave of scripted titles showcased at the industry screenings and will be available to Channel 4 viewers from its March transmission, with streaming audiences in North America able to watch through britbox following its launch on the broadcaster.
