Australia: IP Retention - Trading Risk for Speed—and Chasing the Next Bluey
Published 30 April 2026
Matthew Murphy
The Managing Director of Australian’s state owned broadcaster, the ABC, Hugh Marks, has signalled a sharp strategic shift for the national broadcaster—one built on faster decisions, greater creative risk, and a renewed focus on Australian-owned intellectual property. But behind the policy language sits a very concrete benchmark: Bluey.
Speaking at the Screen Producers Australia’s Screen Forever conference this month, Marks made it clear the ABC wants more global success stories like the Brisbane-made children’s series—projects that begin as distinctly local productions but scale into international cultural and commercial powerhouses.
Why Bluey matters
Bluey is not just a ratings success; it is arguably the most important Australian screen export of the past decade. Produced by Ludo Studio for the ABC and co-commissioned with the BBC, the show has become a global phenomenon—dominating streaming charts, spawning merchandise, and embedding itself in family culture well beyond Australia.
Crucially, Bluey demonstrates the long-term value of retaining a meaningful stake in IP.
Trading certainty for speed
Marks’ broader message is that the ABC needs to move faster—even if that means getting more decisions wrong.Historically, public broadcasters have leaned toward cautious commissioning, favouring projects with clear audience appeal and lower risk profiles. Marks is explicitly pushing against that instinct. In a streaming-dominated market where timing is critical, he argues that slow development cycles can be more damaging than occasional misfires.The implication is clear: Bluey might not survive a long, risk-averse commissioning process today. The next breakout hit could easily be lost to delay, overdevelopment, or international buyers willing to move faster.
Backing Australian IP at the source
The emphasis on local IP is not just cultural—it’s economic.
Australian producers have increasingly relied on international financing, often at the cost of surrendering IP rights. Marks is signalling that the ABC is prepared to shoulder more early-stage risk to keep ownership—and therefore long-term value—closer to home.Bluey again provides the case study. Its success has generated not just viewership but a global licensing ecosystem—books, toys, live shows—demonstrating how IP can compound in value over time.
Marks’ strategy suggests the ABC wants to be more active at the front end of that value chain, rather than simply acting as a domestic broadcaster.
A more competitive ABC
This repositioning effectively turns the ABC into a more assertive player in the content market.For producers, it could mean quicker greenlights and a greater appetite for distinctive ideas. For the broader industry, it raises the prospect of a national broadcaster that competes more directly with streamers—not on budget, but on agility and creative conviction.And for audiences, it could mean more original Australian stories that have the ambition—and backing—to travel.
The risk equation
Of course, the approach comes with trade-offs. A faster, risk-tolerant model inevitably leads to more failures, which can be politically sensitive for a publicly funded organisation.But Marks appears to be making a calculated bet: that the upside of even one Bluey-scale success outweighs the cost of several smaller misses.
The bigger picture
In a global content economy dominated by deep-pocketed platforms, the ABC cannot win by being the most cautious player in the room. Instead, Marks is positioning it as a catalyst—one that identifies, backs, and accelerates Australian ideas before they are captured elsewhere.Bluey is both proof of concept and north star.
In a global content economy dominated by deep-pocketed platforms, the ABC cannot win by being the most cautious player in the room. Instead, Marks is positioning it as a catalyst—one that identifies, backs, and accelerates Australian ideas before they are captured elsewhere.Bluey is both proof of concept and north star.