Michael MacMillan, The Canadian Television Chief Who Brought The ‘CSI’ Franchise To The World, On Doing It All Again With Blue Ant Media
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Michael MacMillan retired from the world of television 17 years ago. Except, he didn’t. The Canadian film and TV producer and business exec had made his name as CEO and Chairman of Alliance Atlantis, the company that built the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation franchise into a worldwide phenomenon, before its broadcast unit was sold off in 2007 to Canwest Communications and Goldman Sachs — making a lot of cash and taking a well-earned early retirement.
However, just four years later, he was back to do it all again. MacMillan launched Blue Ant Media in 2011, originally as a Canadian channel operator, much the same as Alliance Atlantis had operated.
However, just like his previous company, network ownership was only a means to an end — owning content was always the real play.
In the 13 years that have followed, Blue Ant has transformed from a channel operator to a content company playing in the international rights ownership game, with shows such as Canada’s Drag Race, Doomlands, Blown Away, Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell and Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies.
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