Saturday 21 August 2010

Buying Spree in UK Film and TV Sectors

The season of acquisitions in the UK film and TV industry is here. Hollywood studio Time Warner is now the majority owner of Shed Media, its first investment in a UK independent TV-production company.

According to media reports, the entertainment giant has acquired a 55.75% stake in Shed Media, valuing the latter at £100 million. Shed Media produces international TV franchises Supernanny and Who Do You Think You Are?

All3Media, creator of popular international TV dramas Midsomer Murders and Skins, is reported to be buying Optomen TV. Optomen is another indie production house famous for making culinary shows starring TV chef Gordon Ramsay.

These developments follow the acquisition of UK indie RDF Media by Zodiak Entertainment, a rapidly growing international media group, in June.

Meanwhile, another British institution could be affected by the sale of Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which is still desperately looking for a buyer to take on its $3.7 billion debt. It's been on sale since April.

Its financial woes could lead to the postponement of the next movie in the James Bond series, which is produced by the Broccoli family-owned EON Productions.

Scheduled to be filmed at the UK's Pinewood Studios, the movie will be directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes.

Photography by Agnieszka Zychska

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