Charleston, South Carolina–headquartered production services outfit Media Content Services (MCS) has furthered its expansion into the content-creation realm by acquiring prolific unscripted prodco MY Entertainment. The deal was engineered by Shawn ...
Photo Courtesy of MTV, Written by Jennifer Maas
“Crazy Rich Asians” producer SK Global has acquired Critical Content, the unscripted producer behind shows like MTV’s “Catfish” and Netflix’s “Get Organized with The Home Edit,” from Anchorage Capital Group.
The deal marks the move of independent studio SK Global, which was formed in 2016 with the merger of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Ivanhoe Pictures, into the unscripted space, with the Emmy-winning Critical Content creating reality fare for broadcasters, cable channels and streamers. The unscripted production company also has an ownership stake in the UK-based Renowned Films.
Aside from MTV’s “Catfish” reality TV series and the Netflix series “Get Organized With the Home Edit” and “World’s Most Amazing Vacation,” Critical Content also has projects in production and development with a lengthy list of platforms, including: Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Peacock, Hulu, Roku, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, The CW, MTV, BET, Discovery/ Discovery plus, E!, Bravo, USA, A&E, Lifetime, TLC, TBS, Oxygen, Animal Planet, Freeform, Food Network, OWN, HGTV, WeTV, Travel Channel, Showtime, Crackle and YouTube Originals…
Courtesy of Daniel Prakopcyk
From left: Select partners Adam Wescott, Scott Fisher and Lisa Filipelli
Two of Hollywood's management firms are teaming up.
Artists First has acquired a minority stake in Select Management Group as part of a larger strategic partnership between the two companies.
Through the deal, 20-year-old Artists First (formerly Principato-Young Entertainment) will be able to tap into Select's digital expertise while supporting the expansion of the younger firm's film and television business.
"Artists First is excited to align with the smart, creative and energetic team at Select, whose skills and relationships have put it at the cutting edge of digital talent management," Artists First CEO Peter Principato said Wednesday in a statement. "This partnership will offer our clients a new avenue to develop their voices in the digital realm as well as a pipeline to a growing pool of emerging online stars."
Select's partners Lisa Filipelli, Scott Fisher, Amy Neben and Adam Wescott issued a joint statement in support of the deal with Artists First, noting, "Their expertise and experience will help supercharge the growth of our business as we continue to bridge the gap between traditional and digital entertainment.”
Select works with digital-first talent including Gigi Gorgeous, Tyler Oakley, Amanda Steele and Mindy McKnight. In addition to artist management, it also works with clients on content production and helps them with business ventures including consumer products. As the company focuses on bridging the gap between traditional and digital media and developing more film and TV opportunities for its clients, it will be able to lean on the expertise that Artists First has established in the production space.
Artists First, which has been majority-owned by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens' Propagate since 2018, currently produces such projects as ABC's Black-ish and the Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne feature Limited Partners. Its clients include Haddish, Jordan Peele, Will Arnett, Awkwafina and Kate McKinnon.
Drew Buckley of Propagate's Electus and Kelly Fancher of Propagate negotiated the deal on behalf of Artists First. They were repped by Hanson Jacobson, Eisner and The Raine Group. Select was repped by Bryan Bowls and Ron Milkes of Bryor Media Partners, Rob Levy of Columbia Capital Securities and Steve Hurdle of Loeb & Loeb.
January 16, 2020, 11:39 AM PST
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Thrill One Sports & Entertainment Unites Nitro Circus, Street League
Skateboarding and Superjacket Productions
Joe Carr Named CEO of the Industry-Leading Action Sports Company, Backed by
Prominent Investor Group
Business Wire
LOS ANGELES -- January 16, 2020
The Raine Group and Causeway Media Partners, two of sports’ most respected
investment firms, with backing provided by commercial finance firm MidCap
Financial, have partnered to create Thrill One Sports & Entertainment by
combining three industry-leading companies – Nitro Circus, Street League
Skateboarding (SLS) and Superjacket Productions. Thrill One immediately
becomes the world’s largest independent action sports operator and media
company. Joe Carr, the former UFC and World Surf League senior executive, will
lead the combined company as Chief Executive Officer.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200116005766/en/
In addition to uniting elite athletes, top talent and renowned brands under
one banner, Thrill One will further cement its position as the leading
producer of action sports content and events through the launch of additional
properties and the pursuit of strategic acquisitions.
“This groundbreaking alliance combines three prized brands into a single
entity, transforming what has historically been a fragmented landscape into
the biggest platform in action sports,” said Carr. “Action sports are enjoying
a renaissance right now with Olympic inclusion in 2020, the democratization of
media and the worldwide fanbase at an all-time high. I look forward to working
with our athletes and talented management team to drive organic growth in our
existing businesses while also identifying potential M&A opportunities and
complimentary IP.”
Driven by both the incredible skills of action sports’ top athletes and the
daring exploits of its bold daredevils, Nitro Circus creates
critically-acclaimed live events and spectacular sports competitions across a
portfolio that includes Nitro World Games, Nitro Rallycross, and Nitro Circus
Live.
“At Nitro Circus, we have the amazing opportunity to work with the best
athletes, content creators and technical geniuses in the business, reaching
fans worldwide,” said action sports icon Travis Pastrana, co-founder of Nitro
Circus. “Now, by teaming up with SLS and Superjacket to create this
game-changing team, we can pull our resources together with the unified goal
of growing the fun and progression of action sports on a global level.”
SLS is the world’s premier street skateboarding competition series, featuring
an international roster of elite professionals and serving as the lead pathway
to Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020. Superjacket Productions is a leading
full-service video and film production house created by Rob Dyrdek and Shane
Nickerson, the minds behind hit television programs, “Ridiculousness,” “The
Dude Perfect Show,” “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory” and “Rob & Big.”
“Capturing mind-blowing content is essential to everything we do,” offered
Dyrdek, the Chief Executive Officer of venture studio, Dyrdek Machine, the
group responsible for founding both SLS and Superjacket. “Whether it’s the
elite competition of SLS or the outrageous antics of ‘Ridiculousness,’
audiences of all ages are drawn to it. Now, by joining forces with this
influential group of athletes, brands and investors, Joe and team are set to
take Thrill One to a whole new level.”
Thrill One Sports & Entertainment will hit the ground running in 2020, with
more than 30 events scheduled worldwide across its extensive portfolio. The
company will also produce over 100 hours of live sports and deliver over 175
episodes of original programming this year. Thrill One also boasts one of the
largest aggregate social audiences in action sports, with over 40 million
engaged followers across its multiple brand pages and channels.
The Raine Group is a global merchant bank known for its partnerships with
creator-driven media and entertainment companies that help drive growth
objectives. Past investments include Vice Media, Imagine Entertainment, Matt
Stone & Trey Parker’s Important Studios, and Draft Kings.
Causeway Media Partners is a growth-stage venture capital firm focused on
sports media, sports technology and related companies. Causeway is led by Wyc
Grousbeck, former general partner at Highland Capital Partners and lead owner
of the Boston Celtics; Mark Wan, co-founder of Three Arch Partners and part
owner in both the Boston Celtics and the San Francisco 49ers; and Bob Higgins,
co-founder of Highland Capital Partners. Limited partners of Causeway also
include team owners from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and other sports leagues.
About Thrill One Sports & Entertainment:
Thrill One Sports & Entertainment is a next-generation content company that
lives at the nexus of sports, entertainment and lifestyle, combining the
resources of Nitro Circus, Street League Skateboarding and Superjacket
Productions. A multi-media platform, Thrill One is dedicated to creating
mind-blowing action sports events and original content, fueled by the most
daring athletes, talent and brands in thrill-based entertainment. In 2020,
Thrill One will produce 30 events worldwide across its extensive portfolio.
The company will also create over 100 hours of live sports and over 175
episodes of television programming this year. Thrill One Sports &
Entertainment also boasts one of the largest aggregate social audience in
action sports, with over 40 million followers across its multiple brand pages
and channels. Go to thrillone.com for additional information.
PR Assets:
Sizzle reel here
Logo files here
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200116005766/en/
Contact:
For More Information:
Greg Terlizzi: [email protected]
Reid Vokey: [email protected]
Lou D'Ermilio (Loud Communications): [email protected]
Jenny Daly | Tom Forman
By Selina Chignall November 27, 2018
Global indie content studio Critical Content has acquired Jenny Daly’s Culver City-based T Group Productions.
Under the deal, T Group assets will merge with Critical Content into a larger indie–Critical Content Studios–where Daly (pictured, left) will serve as president. In her new role, the T Group founder will oversee the daily combined management and production slates.
Meanwhile, Critical Content founder and CEO Tom Forman (pictured, right) will look to foster strategic growth opportunities, develop formats for streaming and broadcast platforms, and expand the company’s international presence.
As part of the agreement, T Group’s slate of television productions will now be under the Critical Content banner.
“Having the chance to join forces with Critical Content and combine our resources to capitalize on new ventures in an incredibly dynamic market has created an unparalleled opportunity for us. I am thrilled to work with Tom and his team to build a top-tier slate with the freedom to create and build content and business models on a much larger scale,” said Daly, in a statement.
Since establishing T Group in 2010, Daly has created, sold and produced over 50 series, pilots and presentations to across various nets, including Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour for A&E; 24 to Life for Lifetime; Mystery Diners for The Food Network; and Storage Hunters for TruTV.
Before launching T Group, Daly held various roles in production including serving as VP of development at E! Entertainment where she developed The Simple Life, #1 Single, Love is in the Heir, and more.
Meanwhile, Critical Content currently has more than 50 projects in production for more than 30 different networks, including MTV’s Catfish and Bravo’s Get a Room with Carson and Thom.
“For two decades we’ve been friends and competitors and now we’ll be unstoppable as teammates,” said Forman of Daly. “Merging T Group into Critical Content is a win for everyone, especially our clients, offering them more capability, more creativity, and more fun.”
The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Cynthia Littleton - Variety - June 20, 2018 12:00PM PT
MGM has acquired Big Fish Entertainment, the New York-based unscripted production banner that is home to A&E’s “Live PD,” VH1’s “Black Ink Crew,” and WeTV’s “Hustle and Soul,” among other shows.
Financial details of the sale were not disclosed. Big Fish will continue to operate under its own moniker and be led by president Dan Cesareo, who reports to MGM unscripted TV head Barry Poznick.
The purchase brings another busy unscripted TV shop into the MGM tent. The Lion has been shopping for producers who are active in the cable reality market to complement the broadcast network strength delivered by MGM Television and Digital president Mark Burnett, who remains a hands-on producer of reality franchises such as “The Voice,” “Survivor,” and “Shark Tank.” MGM bought Burnett’s One Three Media banner in 2015 and 2016. Since then, it has also scooped up “Real Housewives” producer Evolution Media and Orion Television.
“Dan Cesareo is an innovator who has grown Big Fish into a dynamic company. We are going to have fun together,” Burnett said. Said Poznick: “Big Fish has created a wide-range of programming that is compelling, edgy, and must-watch. We are excited to put the full support of MGM Studios behind Dan and the team to make Big Fish even bigger.”
Cesareo launched Big Fish in 2006. The company has scored recently with the A&E series “Live PD,” which offers live feeds of beat cops on patrol in multiple cities. After becoming a sleeper hit in its first season, A&E ordered 100 additional episodes last year. The series airs in a three-hour block on Friday and Saturday nights. “Live PD” has spawned the spinoff “Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol,” which bowed this week on A&E sibling Lifetime. Other series hailing from Big Fish include TLC’s “Tattoo Girls,” MTV’s “Just the Tattoo of Us,” and ESPN’s “Chris Paul’s Chapter 3.”
“Big Fish Entertainment has been built over many years by the hard work and commitment of an enormously talented team of showrunners, development executives, producers, editors and many other dedicated professionals,” said Cesareo. “I am truly thrilled now to be part of the MGM family, which will allow Big Fish to scale and broaden, while keeping the brand’s spirit of agility and independence intact.”
Big Fish was repped in the sale by Todd Weinstein and Tara Senior at Del Shaw Moonves, CAA, Steve Hurdle at Loeb & Loeb, and by Ron Milkes and Bryan Bowles of Bryor Media. MGM was repped by Latham & Watkins.
Douglas Ross and Alex Baskin
LOS ANGELES (July 18, 2017) – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) announced today the acquisition of the assets of Evolution Media, one of today's most innovative producers of unscripted television, expanding MGM’s television division led by Mark Burnett, President, Television Group & Digital. Evolution Media’s roster of hit shows includes the series The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules for Bravo, as well as the break-out series Botched for the E! network. The company will operate as Evolution Media, an MGM Company, with founder and CEO Douglas Ross to become the President of the acquired business and Executive Vice President of Programming & Development Alex Baskin to become its President, Programming & Development, both reporting to Barry Poznick, MGM’s President, Unscripted Television. The business will continue to operate out of its current Burbank headquarters under Ross and Baskin’s leadership.
Founded 30 years ago by Ross, Evolution Media has forged a reputation for being a bold provider of unscripted television. Since its inception, the company has produced over 50 series including the inaugural seasons of CBS’s Big Brother and NBC’s Fear Factor, as well as Disney Channel’s Bug Juice and TLC’s 10 Years Younger. Evolution Media’s current productions include The Real Housewives of Orange County, now airing its 12th season; The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, in production on its 8th season; and the show’s spinoff, Vanderpump Rules, now in production on its 5th season, as well as Bravo’s Sweet Home Oklahoma and Lifetime’s forthcoming Growing up Supermodel, among others.
The acquisition of Evolution Media further enhances MGM Television’s already strong position. In unscripted television, MGM Television currently has hit series on all four major TV networks, including Survivor (CBS), The Voice (NBC), Shark Tank (ABC), Jamie Foxx’s Beat Shazam (FOX) and Steve Harvey’s FUNDERDOME (ABC). In scripted television, MGM Television dominates with Fargo (FX), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Vikings (HISTORY) and the upcoming Get Shorty (EPIX) and Condor (AT&T’s Audience Network). Finally, in syndication, MGM Television will debut this fall the 5th season of the popular daytime court series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court as well as the first season of Couple’s Court with The Cutlers.
“Doug and Alex have been creating and producing hit series for decades. These guys have talent and drive and will help our MGM Television ‘hit machine’ to continue to grow and grow,” said Burnett.
“The shows that Evolution produces are a perfect complement to our slate. Their slick style, high quality and one-of-a-kind casts connect with audiences and generate epic social media engagement. I’m proud to welcome them to the team and together we will continue to produce content that makes headlines,” said Barry Poznick, MGM’s President, Unscripted Television.
Ross said: “After 30 years of being fiercely independent, we couldn’t be more proud and excited to join forces with the dynamic, creative and supportive leadership team at MGM. We look forward to working with Gary, Mark and Barry to supercharge Evolution and to write the next chapters in the company’s history with them.”
Evolution Media was represented in the transaction by Bryan Bowles and Ron Milkes of Bryor Media Partners and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton.
Rasha Drachkovitch and Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch COURTESY OF 44 BLUE PRODUCTIONS
Daniel Holloway Variety July 20,2016 | 5:00AM PT
German-based Red Arrow Entertainment Group has acquired a majority stake in 44 Blue Productions, U.S. producer of unscripted series such as A&E’s “Wahlburgers.” With the acquisition, Red Arrow now has nine U.S. companies in its portfolio.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Red Arrow has acquired a 65% stake in the U.S. company.
Co-founders Rasha and Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch will continue to run 44 Blue, with Red Arrow now handling all international distribution of its shows.
“Rasha and Stephanie have over 40 years of combined production experience and have established a first-rate and highly respected team,” Jan Frouman, chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Entertainment Group. “Working together with 44 Blue is a great opportunity for Red Arrow to partner with a dynamic, successful and highly collaborative company. This partnership offers us expanded access to A-list talent and premium factual and reality TV content.”
Among the shows that 44 Blue produces are A&E’s “Nightwatch,” E!’s “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry,” Animal Planet’s “Pit Bulls & Parolees” and MSNBC’s “Lockup.” The company has partnered with talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Dick Wolf, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Melissa Joan Hart and Jennifer Garner.
“Our partnership with Red Arrow immediately unlocks global distribution and access to the kind of scale that will allow us to leverage our formats and expand our storytelling to new audiences around the world,” said Rasha Drachkovitch.
Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch added, “We’ve been consistently impressed by Red Arrow for quite some time, and couldn’t have asked for a better strategic partner.”
