In a shock move, BBC content chief Charlotte Moore is leaving the British broadcaster to become CEO of Left Bank Pictures and creative director of international production at Sony Pictures Television.

Moore, who was courted by Disney over an international role earlier this year, will succeed Andy Harries, who stepped back to become Sony-owned Left Bank’s executive chairman on Wednesday.

The creative director role is newly-created by Sony and will see Moore report to president Wayne Garvie and work closely with Matthew Justice, EVP head of UK and Europe. She joins later this year.

Moore has overseen the BBC’s television output since 2016, adding audio and sport to her portfolio in 2020, when she was elevated to chief content officer and joined the BBC board after losing out to Tim Davie in the race to become director general. She is comfortably the UK’s most powerful content executive.

Moore...