# OFF the Fence Productions Limited (05314266)

> Why UK company 05314266 went into administration, from the administrators' statement filed at Companies House, by companydig. Interactive version: https://companydig.co.uk/company/05314266

- **Status:** Administration ended
- **Administration began:** 2025-07-28
- **Administrators:** Simon Robert Haskew, Paul David Wood
- **Administrators' firm:** Begbies Traynor
- **Incorporated:** 2004-12-15
- **Location:** Bristol
- **Industry:** 59113 Television programme production activities

## Why it went into administration

- COVID-19

## From the administrators' statement

Off the Fence group (“OTF”) is a television producer and distributor, involved in every aspect and facet of non-fiction programming for a global audience across all media platforms. OTF produce, acquire, localise, and distribute programming.

The Distribution arm and head office, Off The Fence BV (“OTF BV”), was founded in 1994 and is based in Amsterdam (Netherlands). It gains its sales from licensing finished factual programming to global broadcasters. Off The Fence Productions Ltd (OTF UK”) was set up in December 2004 and has produced more than 700 hours of programming for the world’s A-list broadcasters including Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, Curiosity Stream, Discovery and ZDF ARTE. The Acquisitions office is based in London, acquiring globally from independent third-party producers and broadcasters. OTF Toronto is the base for Head of Commercial and Business Affairs.

Since 1st January 2019, ZDF Studios GMBH has been the ultimate shareholder of the Company. During that time OTF, and the global TV industry has been through one of the most challenging times — from the pressures of the pandemic to meet increased demand for programming to the sudden downturn in commissioning and sales throughout the sector, and especially across the US and UK markets. As a result, OTF has increasingly found itself in financial difficulty and despite financial support from ZDF Studios, ABN Amro (its banker), and input from external advisors, it has not been possible to put the Company back on a sound footing.

Statement of proposals: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05314266/filing-history/MzQ4MDA4NjgwMmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
Companies House register: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05314266

Contains public sector information from Companies House, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.