Founded in September 2014, McAvoy Media is an independent television production company based in Sydney. Led by CEO John McAvoy, one of Australia’s leading and award-winning television producers, McAvoy Media has secured a reputation as a trusted production partner and a passionate producer of Australian content.
Employing a team of both dedicated and experienced content makers, McAvoy Media’s slate represents a diverse range of factual entertainment, reality and observational documentary programming for Australian and international networks and global streaming platforms.
With a focus on the constant development of exciting and innovative new TV concepts, McAvoy Media is committed to telling great stories, unearthing compelling characters and continuing to create and produce content that will engage audiences worldwide.
Since beginning his television career at the Nine Network in 1991, John has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the Australian television industry. He is widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in the business, having created, developed, and delivered premium programming across multiple genres for networks and streamers both in Australia and internationally.
In March 2010, after 18 years at Channel Nine—including five as Head of Factual Programming—John joined Eyeworks Television Australia (later Warner Bros International Television Australia) as Managing Director. In October 2014, he left Warner Bros to establish his own independent production company, McAvoy Media.
John is the creator of several acclaimed programs, including the ASTRA Award-winning Kalgoorlie Cops and the Logie Award-winning Kings Cross ER. His other titles include Territory Cops, Meet the Frockers, The Croc Catchers, Gold Coast Cops, The Memorial: Legend of the Anzacs (for History Channel), Gold Coast Medical and Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo – named Factual Entertainment Programme of the Year at the 2020 TBI Global Awards.
In 2021, John created and executive produced Head Above Water, a four-part series for Amazon Prime Video that followed the personal and professional journeys of four Australian sporting superstars in the lead-up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The series was a finalist in the Best Documentary category at both the Sport Australia Media Awards and the Screen Producers Australia Awards.
McAvoy Media has also produced a range of high-profile programmes, including the much-loved RPA (Nine Network), based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; the Australian adaptation of the hit international format Say Yes to the Dress; Cape Carnage: Killer Catch (UKTV); and Teenage Boss (ABC Australia). The first series of Teenage Boss received two Logie nominations—Most Outstanding Children’s Program and the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent (Eddie Woo)—while the second series was the first runner-up for the prestigious Japan Prize.
Simon is one of Australia’s leading Executive Producers & Development Executives, having produced some of the country’s most iconic television shows. Starting his career in 1994 at Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports, Simon has had more than 30 years’ experience in the television industry.
Over a period of fifteen years at Channel Nine, Simon series produced and executive produced shows including This is Your Life, The NRL Footy Show, 20 to 1 with Bert Newton, as well as the channel’s 2004 New Year’s Eve Coverage.
After leaving Channel Nine, Simon joined independent production company Screentime as Executive Producer Entertainment, and was later promoted as the company’s Head Of Factual.
During his seven years at Screentime, Simon created and executive produced the hugely successful observational documentary series RBT for the Nine Network, currently in its fourteenth series. He also co-produced Outback Coroner for Foxtel’s Crime & Investigation Network and was both creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Taking On The Chocolate Frog for Foxtel’s Studio Channel.
Simon also executive produced two series of Village Vets Australia for Foxtel’s Lifestyle Channel, The Flying Miners for ABC TV & was both the creator & executive producer of the ABC’s factual series Outback ER.
Simon joined McAvoy Media as the Head of Development in early 2016. He has overseen development and shows such as Say Yes To the Dress for Discovery International, Teenage Boss for ABC, RPA for Channel 9, Head Above Water for Amazon Prime, Cape Carnage for UKTV and Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo for Nine, Nat Geo and Channel 4 UK.
Samantha Sealey is an accomplished Line Producer. She started her career in London, training at the BBC’s specialist factual department and then working for indies such as Mentorn, Lion TV and Fulcrum Media, making documentaries for the likes of Discovery Channel before heading down under.
Sam has since been in Australia for nearly 20 years working on shows such as award-winning documentary series’ Murder In the Outback and Getting Frank Gehry and other series such as Top Gear, Better Homes and Gardens, Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, Shaun Micallef’s On The Sauce, Kids on Speed and Extreme Engagement – the first Netflix Australian factual commission. Sam has also worked across a number of feature documentaries and in addition spent two years as a Production Manager at Disney and ESPN.
Since becoming part of the team at McAvoy Media Sam has worked across multiple series of Nat Geo’s Inside Taronga Zoo, ABC’s Teenage Boss, and Nine Network’s RPA in addition to a four part documentary series for Amazon , Head Above Water, and the newest exciting series Cape Carnagefor UKTV and Seven.
