Football star and production company owner was joined on stage by Netflix’s Bela Bajaria
David Beckham revealed he’s “not into UK dramas” before backtracking on the comment, as he took to the stage for a keynote conversation with Netflix content chief Bela Bajaraia.
The football icon made the admission during a rapid-fire question and answer session to open his Mip London fireside chat, much to the chagrin of the audience of TV execs.
However, by the end of the session, he clarified he was “really sorry…I do like UK dramas, and my wife loves them”.
Discussing his life and businesses, the pair discussed a variety of topics, the crux of the conversation being production outfit Studio 99, which is part of Authentic Brands Group’s US-based media group Authentic Studios.
Beckham said he was “proud to be part of [the TV] industry”, and he had created the studio knowing that he had ideas for documentaries that he would want to be a part of someday.
Thus far, Studio 99 has produced a range of sports and football-focused docs including Save our Squad for Disney+, Prime Video pair 99 and Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything, and – in partnership with Netflix’s Bajaria – the Emmy-winning Beckham documentary.
A follow-up Netflix docuseries, focusing on Victoria Beckham, is currently being readied.
Reflecting on making the first doc, Bajaria called Beckham a “great partner”, although Beckham admitted he “didn’t enjoy” the process, particularly in regard to showcasing a more vulnerable side.
“All the things I’ve been through, I put in a box and locked away,” he said. “I thought I’d never be able to or have to talk about it.”
He also admitted that, while watching some clips back, he felt he had made a mistake – at one point compelling him to phone his Studio 99 co-founders Nicola Howson and David Gardner “to ask if there was any way of stopping this”.
Discussing how much power he had in the edit, Beckham revealed he wanted “none”.
“That’s the way I felt it had to be. I wanted it to be very authentic, open and honest.”
Off the topic of TV, Beckham discussed his favourite film (Ratatouille), whom he thinks will win The UEFA Champions League (Real Madrid), his love of food and wine, and who he considers the greatest footballer of all time (Lionel Messi).
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