Mediawan S.A. is a French media conglomerate and audiovisual international production and distribution group.[4] It was founded on December 15, 2015, by Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton under the legal form of a special-purpose acquisition company ("SPAC") with the purpose to acquire assets and operations in the media production and distribution business in Europe.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Their ambition for the company was to become "one of the largest platforms for European content".[11][8]
History
Mediawan was founded on December 15, 2015, as an acquisition service, with the company's plan was to form an audiovisual international group through acquisitions across France and Europe in the entertainment or media industries.
The company went public on April 22, 2016,[7] raising €250 million ($310 million).[4]
In January 2017, Mediawan announced that it had entered exclusive negotiations to acquire French audiovisual production, broadcasting and distribution company AB Groupe from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake, for €270 million in order for Mediawan to build a European premium content leader and an audiovisual production and distribution group. The deal could give Mediawan their own production companies and an international distribution division along with the pay-TV channels that AB Groupe owns.[12][13] Two months later in late-March of that same year, Mediawan announced that they had closed their acquisition of French audiovisual production, broadcasting and distribution company AB Groupe from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake with AB Groupe becoming a fully owned subsidiary of Mediawan, marking Mediawan's first step into the premium production and distribution activities.[14]
In June 2017, Mediawan announced exclusive talks to acquire a majority stake in Paris-based French documentary production company Clarke Costelle & Co. (CC&C)
[15] One month later in July of that same year, Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of a majority stake in Paris-based French documentary audiovisual production company Clarke Costelle & Co (CC&C). Also in the same month, they announced that they purchased the remaining 35% stake in Luxembourgish television channel RTL9 from its previous parent company RTL Group.[16]
In December 2017, Mediawan had announced exclusive talks to acquiring a majority stake of Paris-based entertainment, audiovisual and animation company ON Entertainment who owns film production house Chapter 2 and its animation label Method Animation under the ON Kids & Family division for about €50 million.[17][18][19] One year later in June 2018, Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of a majority stake in ON Entertainment, the acquisition marked Mediawan's first entry into the animation market. Mediawan then announced that due to their acquisition of ON Entertainment, it was restructuring its operations into four groups with the ON Entertainment joining Mediawan's portfolio and renamed as ON Kids & Family with Chapter 2 moving under Mediawan.[1]
In January 2018, Mediawan announced that it had acquired EuropaCorp's French television production division EuropaCorp Television (which was previously known as Cipango) and renamed the division into Storia Television expanding Mediawan's drama portfolio and becoming the biggest producer of television fiction content and expanded their international content. They also announced that they were in exclusive negotiations to buy a 60% majority stake in Paris-based French scripted production company Mon Voisin Productions and a majority stake in French television production group Makever along with their 7 independent production companies.[20][21][22][23] Two months later in March of that same year, Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of a majority stake in French scripted television production group Makever Group along with their production subsidiaries.[24] Seven months later in October of that same year, Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of a majority stake in French scripted production company Mon Voisin Productions. Later in that same month of the same year, Mediawan announced that they had entered a restructure by organising their operations into four audiovisuel activities and had rebranded AB Groupe and their own international distribution arm AB International Distribution under the Mediawan name into Mediawan Thematics and Mediawan Rights, marking the first time Mediawan had rebranded their subsidiaries following their acquisition since 2017.[25]
In December 2018, Mediawan announced that they had acquired a 50% stake in French film production company Mai Juin Productions and placing it under their content production division Mediawan Originals with the founder of Mai Juin Productions Gilles de Maistre joining Mediawan under their pool of talent.[26]
In January 2019, Mediawan announced that they had entered a deal to acquire a 53% stake in Italian independent production outfit Palomar, the acquisition will be Mediawan's first acquisition outside of France.[27] Two months later in March of that same year, Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of a 53% majority stake in Italian independent production company Palomar, marking Mediawan's expansion into Italy with Mediawan will have plans to acquire a 75% stake later alongside founder and CEO of Palomar, Carlo Degli Esposti who continued having a 25% in the acquired company.[28]
In April 2019 one year after Mediawan brought ON Entertainment, Mediawan announced that they had established a partnership with world-known French author and illustrator Joann Sfar to adapt his works into film and television with the acquisition of a majority stake in Joann Sfar's animation production company Nice Pictures and placed it under ON Kids & Family.[29]
In May 2019, Mediawan announced that they had joined forces with French producer Noor Sadar and Belgian production company Entre Chien et Loups to launch a French production company dedicated to genre and low-budget films named Black Swan Tales.[30]
In September 2019, Mediawan announced that they had launched their production label named NC Production with producer Nicole Collet joining Mediawan and their production label as their CEO of the production label.[31]
In October 2019, Mediawan announced that there buying a majority stake in French film production company Radar Films in order for Mediawan to move into French and international series, expanding Mediawan's film production operations with Radar Films was placed under Mediawan's film production activities and will use their investment develop French and English-language films.[32][33]
In February 2020, Mediawan announced that they had acquired a majority stake in Paris-based French premium documentary and scripted production company Black Dynamite, expanding Mediawan's documentary production activities.[34]
In June 2020, Mediawan announced that their children's subsidiary ON Kids & Family had rebranded their Joann Sfar's Paris-based production company Nice Pictures as their mini-studio and renamed it to Magical Society with Veteran animation producer and founder of Method Animation and producer Aton Soumache and award-winning publisher Joann Sfar heading the rebranded company.[35]
On 22 June 2020, Mediawan announced the creation of a dedicated pan-European company named Mediawan Alliance with them announcing that they had established an agreement to acquire a minority stake in German film and television production and distribution company Leonine Holding and announced that they had entered negotiations to buy French entertainment production and distribution company Lagardère Studios and their production subsidiaries including its distribution division from the Lagardère Group for €100 million that could further expand Mediawan's production portfolio and further expand Mediawan's international operations into other countries like Spain in order for Lagardère to focus on its publishing and travel retail operations. Mediawan also announced that they brought a majority stake in Spanish-based content production company Good Mood expanding their Spanish operations. Mediawan's division Mediawan Alliance announced that they were in exclusive negotiations to buy the French hip-hop group Troisième Œil's audiovisual activities.[36][37][38] Five months later on November 2 of that same year Mediawan announced that they had completed their acquisition of French international production and distribution company Lagardère Studios and their production subsidiaries including its distribution division from the Lagardère Group along with their pan-European division Mediawan Alliance had completed their acquisition of the French hip-hop group Troisième Œil's audiovisual division and a minority stake in German audiovisual production and distribution company Leonine Holding, with the former being folded into Mediawan's expanded portfolio turning Mediawan into a pan-European entertainment production powerhouse. They also announced that they had taken a minority stake in Madrid-based Spanish production company Weekend Studio.[39][40][41] On November 11 of that same year following the acquisition of Lagardère Studios, Mediawan announced that they were forming a Spanish production hub based in Spain named Mediawan Studios Spain with their three Spanish production companies being placed in that new division.[42]
In March 2021, Mediawan announced that they were launching a SVOD service dedicated to documentaries which was named Explore, marking their first French streaming service and will be exclusively via Apple TV.[43]
In July 2021, Mediawan along with German audiovisual production and distribution company Leonine Holding announced that they formally renamed their joint venture production division Mediawan Alliance as Mediawan & Leonine Studios and had announced it had jointly acquired a majority stake in British-based drama production company Drama Republic, marking the first time Mediawan had entered the British television market alongside Leonine Holding.[44][45] Later in that same month Mediawan announced their acquisition of a majority stake in Chi-Fou-Mi Productions.[46]
In January 2022, Mediawan under their joint venture division Mediawan & Leonine Studios announced that they had opened up an American office based in Los Angeles, California and had hired former Red Arrow Studios and Fremantle executive Caroline Kusser to handle the joint venture division's own international co-productions as their executive VP.[47]
In February 2022, Mediawan announced that they were restructuring their Finnish production subsidiary Aito Media and had hired media industry veteran Lauri Nurkse and TV professional Emilia Valentin who will take over development and distribution of Aito's scripted and unscripted programmes.[48] Three months later in May of that same year following Mediawan's restruction of their Finnish production company Aito Media, Mediawan announced that they had rebranded their Finnish production company Aito Media which Mediawan acquired along with their parent Lagardére Studios back in 2020 under the Mediawan name and renamed it to Mediawan Finland marking the first time that Mediawan had renamed one of their production companies after their parent company since their rebranded of its broadcasting division Mediawan Thematics and their distribution arm Mediawan Rights back in 2018.[49]
In June 2022 one month after Mediawan rebranded Aito Media to Mediawan Finland, Mediawan announced that they were bringing all of their kids and family activities and ramping up their youth entertainment content by announcing that they had rebranded their subsidiary ON Kids & Family and reformatting it as their own division named Mediawan Kids & Family retiring the ON name after seven years marking their second time that Mediawan had renamed one of its subsidiaries after Mediawan Finland, with their animation labels Method Animation, Magical Society, ON Animation Studios and ON Classics being placed under the newly renamed division with the latter two retaining the ON name. Mediawan also announced that they had launched two new production labels which was traditional animation production studio Somewhere Animation and live-action studio Elliot Studio which would be part of the division, along with Mediawan Kids & Family launching their own distribution label which will handle all of their live action and animated programmes along with third-party programmes.[50][51][52]
In September 2022, Mediawan announced that they were teaming up with Oscar-winning French film maker Florian Zeller to launch French-American film and television production company based in Paris and Los Angeles named Blue Morning Pictures with Mediawan financing and producing their film and television projects.[53][54]
In October 2022, Mediawan announced that their international distribution division Mediawan Rights had entered the Web3 Space by launching their own metaverse dedicated for buyers to access Mediawan's catalog releases and connect with sales executives named Metawan.[55]
On 30 October 2022, Mediawan announced that they were in exclusive talks to acquiring in a significant stake Brad Pitt's American film and television production studio Plan B Entertainment.[56] Two months later in December 2022, Mediawan announced it had acquired a significant stake in Brad Pitt's Los Angeles-based American film and television production studio Plan B Entertainment and was placed under Mediawan's operations with Mediawan launching their dedicated US division named Mediawan US.[57][58]
In February 2023, Mediawan announced that their children's division Mediawan Kids & Family had acquired a majority stake in Bristol-based British scripted and animation production company Wildseed Studios, making it Mediawan Kids & Family's first international acquisition with Wildseed Studios became a production label.[59]
In April 2023, Mediawan announced that it had brought a majority stake in Amsterdam-based Dutch independent film & television production company and animation production studio Submarine, expanding Mediawan's animation and film & television production activities along with Mediawan's expanded Dutch production activities.[60][61][62]
In May 2023, Mediawan announced that they had acquired Ivory Coast-based African independent audiovisual content production and distribution company Côte Ouest Audiovisuel and were placing it under their division Mediawan Africa expanding Mediawan's African operations with Mediawan's long-time partner Canal+ International continuing to hold a minority stake in Mediawan's acquired company Côte Ouest Audiovisuel.[63][64]
In July 2023, Mediawan announced that they had acquired a majority stake in Paris-based French film production company 24 25 Films.[65]
On 16 January 2024, Mediawan announced that they had brought a majority stake in London-based British documentary production company Misfits Entertainment, expanding Mediawan's factual production output and their English-language production activities.[66][67]
In April 2024, Mediawan announced that they had rebranded their Dutch television production label Skyhigh TV which Mediawan eventually brought along with their acquisition of its parent Lagardère Studios back in 2020 under the Mediawan name and had it renamed to Mediawan Skyhigh in order to celebrate the latter's 25th anniversary, marking the third time that Mediawan had rebranded one of their production companies under the Mediawan name after Mediawan Finland and Mediawan Kids & Family.[68] Later in that same month, Mediawan which already held a 25% minority stake in Munich-based German film & television production and distribution company Leonine Holding since 2020 announced that they had entered an agreement to acquire the remaining stakes of Munich-based German film and television production and distribution company Leonine Holding and their production companies which was also owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts by acquiring the remaining stakes in an all stock deal. The deal of acquiring full control of Leonine Holding would expand Mediawan's German operations and could turn Mediawan into an pan-European film and television production and distribution powerhouse with pending subject to be approved from German authorities whilest Leonine will retaining their name once the acquisition is completed alongside its founder Fred Kogel who will join Mediawan's executive team and will continue to head up Leonine's operations.[69][70][71][72]
In May 2024, Mediawan announced that they along with independent animation studio ZAG which both previously produced Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir under their brands Method Animation and Zagtoon had teamed up to launch a new joint venture production and IP holder label named Miraculous Corp. that will bring all of the components of the successful Miraculous franchise under one label with Mediawan holding a 60% stake in the new label placing it under their Mediawan Kids & Family division.[73][74][75]
In August 2024, Mediawan announced that they had acquired a majority stake in Rome-based Italian film and television production company Our Films.[76][77]
In September 2024, Mediawan announced that they had signed a global content production partnership with professional basketball player LeBron James and Maverick Carter's American entertainment production company SpringHill Company to produce and develop film and television series and adapt existing IP together along with explore international distribution opportunities starting with Weekend Warriors.[78]
