NBCUniversal has made some big purchases recently, investing $200 million in Vox Media and $200 million in BuzzFeed. The investment in Vox Media is expected to bring its valuation to $1 billion and BuzzFeed’s to $1.5 billion. Washington D.C.-based Vox Media owns web properties as Re/Code, The Verge, Polygon, Curbed, Eater, Vox.com and SBNation.
E-commerce giant Alibaba and social media leader Tencent have jointly invested in China Media Capital’s smart-TV start-up Whaley Technology, founded by state-backed private-equity fund CMC in 2015. Content is thought to be a major part of what both Alibaba and Tencent bring to Whaley as earlier this year, both companies also invested in Huayi Brothers Media, China’s biggest private film company.
Turner Broadcasting System has acquired a majority stake in live video streaming company iStreamPlanet. It will utilize the company to deliver OTT programming, shift technology infrastructure to the cloud and develop new products and services for existing and new businesses. iStreamPlanet will continue to be a standalone entity under the deal.
Zealot Networks, a digital start-up has acquired premium global video syndication company Allscreen. AllScreen averages 250 million monthly video views. Zealot Networks was founded by former Maker Studios CEO Danny Zappin.
Producer Gary Auerbach has signed a first-look agreement with The Jackal Group. Under terms of the deal with Gail Berman’s indie outfit, Auerbach will focus on scripted and non-scripted programming. Auerbach executive produced MTV hit series Laguna Beach and Singled Out along with Fox’s Nashville and most recently was the EVP of NBCUniversal’s Wilshire Studios.
Global distribution and production company Keshet International has signed a first-look deal with NBC to also include a co-production deal for scripted programming with Universal TV. The company is owned by the Israeli Keshet Media Group which produces Homeland. They recently launched a scripted arm in the U.S. headed by Peter Traugott. Keshet recently produced Allegiance for NBC and Universal TV and Dig for NBCUniversal’s USA Network and Universal Cable Prods.
Patricia Heaton & David Hunt’s FourBoys Entertainment has closed a pod deal with WB TV and their shingle will have offices on the Warner Bros. lot. As part of the deal, FourBoys has tapped Rebecca Stay as President of Television and Amelia Taggart as VP of Theatrical. FourBoys series, The Middle, is now entering its seventh season on ABC. FourBoys Entertainment’s credits include films Moms’ Night Out for Sony, Amazing Grace for Walden Media, Queens of Pennsylvania for Netflix and The Engagement Ring for TNT.
Iain Morris and Damon Beesley, the writer/producing team behind hit UK TV series Inbetweeners adapted into a film franchise have founded film and TV company Fudge Park. They have hired on Simon Wilson, Phil Gilbert, Mark Lesbirel and Leo Martin. The pair sold previous production company, Bwark, to the Zodiak Media Group in 2011. The company is currently under a distribution and development deal with BBC Worldwide, who will handle global sales of finished programs and formats.
Endemol Shine UK has acquired a controlling share in animation company Simon’s Cat and will expand the property into other areas, including television, publishing, licensing and merchandising. Founded in 2008 by animation filmmaker Simon Tofield, the London-based company created the Flash-animated comedy series Simon’s Cat. The first installment, Cat Man Do, has been viewed over 650 million times on YouTube and the channel currently has over 3.5 million subscribers. As part of the deal, the Simon’s Cat series will become a part of the Endemol Beyond multi-channel network.