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Zodiak Media was a Swedish and later French global independent television group with up to 45 companies covering fiction, entertainment, and animation, spread across 15 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Spain, the Nordic countries, and Russia.
The group merged in February 2016 with Banijay Group, which then became the world's leading independent producer of content for television and multimedia platforms.[1]
Zodiak Rights, the international distribution arm of Zodiak Media, now a Banijay Entertainment company, is one of the leading distributors on the international market. Its catalogue has over 20,000 hours of programming.[2]
The company's first interrogation began when MTV Produktion AB was founded in 1981 under the name Mobile Television as a technical facility in Sweden to engage at outside broadcast for various clients, but by the late 1980s, when commercial television began established in the country they decided to move into television programming. By 1995 MTV Produktion AB launched a Danish division named MTV Produktion A/S in Denmark.
Mastiff Media was founded in 1990 under the name Wegelius Television as an independent production company by its founder Annie Wegelius after when she left TV3. By January 1995, Swedish media group Bonnier Group announced that their Swedish film production and distribution division Svensk Filmindustri (which is now known as SF Studios) had acquired independent production company Wegelius Television with its founder Annie Wegelius continued to be the president of the company.[5]
In Italy, Magnolia SPA was founded in 2000 by Giorgio Gori as an independent reality television production company so it could adapt entertainment formats to Italian networks.
In November 2001, Wegelius Television had announced that they've rebranded as Mastiff Media by their CEO Brita Sohlberg in order for them to expand their operations.
In April 2003, a major pan-Scandinavian entertainment production giant was born when MTV Produktion AB announced that they've acquired Stockholm-based Swedish and Danish production outfit Mastiff Media AB from its parent company Bonnier Group marking their first acquisition with Bonnier acquiring a 36% stake in MTV Produktion AB along with the two companies retaining their brands.[6]
In September 2003 following the acquisition of Mastiff Media back in April of that same year, MTV Produktion AB had announced that they've merged MTV and Mastiff Media together to form a new production group named MTV Mastiff Production AB with the focus on their core activities along with their production & distribution of their Nordic formats with MTV and Mastiff names being retained along with the group launching their newly owned international distribution division named MTV Mastiff International to distribute their formats to other countries.[7]
In August 2004, MTV Produktion AB had announced that they've brought fellow Swedish production company Jarowskij along with its Finland subsidiary Jarowskij Finland and merged the former company with their own production company MTV Mastiff Production AB to becoming the biggest Scandinavian production group with the MTV Mastiff and Jarowskij brands were being retained after the merger.[8] By the following year in 2005 after the merger of MTV Mastiff Produktion AB with Jarowskij in that same year, their parent company MTV Produktion AB announced that they had changed their name to Zodiak Television AB with their international division MTV Mastiff International also being renamed to Zodiak Television World with their division MTV Mastiff being retained as a label within the renamed company.
On May 3, 2005, Zodiak Television AB expanded its operations in Finland by announcing that they had acquired Finnish production company Broadcasters Group, marking their second acquisition in Finland with Broadcasters Group's management remained in the acquired company.[9]
In January 2006, Zodiak Television AB announced that they brought out a 35% stake in Polish production company Zebra Media, marking Zodiak's first entry into the Polish production outfit.[10]
In February 2006, Zodiak Television AB announced that their expanding its operations into Eastern Europe by acquiring a 34% stake in Russian production company TeleAlliance along with their companies Dixi Media, Teleformat and Rytm, marking the first time the Copenhagen-based entertainment group entered the Russian television market.[11]
In March 2006, Zodiak Television AB announced that they've acquired Danish production company Look Productions, thus expanding Zodiak's Danish operations in that country.
In October 2006, Zodiak Television AB entered the British television industry for the first time when they announced that they had brought British producer Diverse Productions from FBC Group, marking Zodiak's first entry to the UK market with Diverse's international distribution division being folded into Zodiak's own distribution division.[12][13]
In January 2007, Italian publisher De Agostini had announced they've acquired a controlling stake in Italian reality television production company Magnolia founder its Giorgio Gori.[14] In that same month, Zodiak Television AB announced that they've launched a new Russian division based in Moscov named Zodiak Vostok.
In February 2007, Zodiak Television AB announced that they brought Swedish-based TV and film production company Yellow Bird with Jarowskij's drama production output being folded into the acquired company thrust expanding Zodiak's Swedish operations.[15]
In August 2007, Zodiak Television AB announced that they've strengthened their operations in the Russian and CIS market by announcing that they had brought a 75% majority stake in Ukraine-based production company YS Films and placed it under their Russian subsidiary Dixi Media.[16][17] A few days later in that same month they announced that they've brought London-based British television production company Bullseye TV with the latter's distribution arm folded into Zodiak's international division with Zodiak Television AB announcing that their distribution division Zodiak Television World will move its international business from its home of Copenhagen to London from January 2008.[18][19]
On October 8, 2007, Zodiak Television announced that they had acquired 35% stake in Indian independent production company Sol, marking Zodiak Television's expansion outside of Europe and the first time Zodiak entered the Indian television industry.[20] On March 30, 2010, Zodiak announced that they increased their stake in Indian-based production company by acquiring 51% stake in the company.[21]
In November 2007, Zodiak Television announced that their distribution division Zodiak Television World was moving their distribution base from Copenhagen, Denmark to London, England starting from January 2008 with Zodiak Television World hiring former SDI Media and Disney executive John Coleman to become their operation manager along with Sarah Coursey joining Zodiak as their head of formats and acquisitions.[22] Later in that same month, Zodiak Television AB announced that they brought former Damon Pattison's new production company Lucky Day Productions and placed it under their UK operations.[23]
In May 2008, Italian-based holding and publishing company De Agostini who owns French-based production and distribution company Marathon Group and Magnolia, announced that they've made a deal to acquire Swedish-based Scandinavian international television production and distribution company Zodiak Television AB with Zodiak Television AB merged with Marathon Group and Magnolia into one global production and distribution company turning Zodiak from a European production empire to a single entertainment powerhouse.[24][25] Five months later in November of that same year, De Agostini announced that they've completed their acquisition of Swedish-based Scandinavian international television production and distribution company Zodiak Television AB and the latter company announced that they're being rebranded and renamed by changing the company's name to Zodiak Entertainment moving the group into the global television content market with the company having its head offices in Paris and London along with the aim of acquiring more production companies.[26]
In October 2009, Zodiak Entertainment announced that they're expanding their UK operations by taking the acquisition in British factual and drama specialist indie production company Dangerous Films. They also announced that they've entering into the American Spanish-language market by launching a new production joint-venture company based in Miami with the Ricky Martin Entertainment Group being named RM 5to Elemento with the new joint venture company being headed by the CEO of Ricky Martin Entertainment Group Bruno Del Granado.[27][28]
In April 2010, Zodiak Entertainment along with their Miami-based joint venture producfion subsidiary RM 5to Elemento announced that they've established a production office based in Bogota, Colombia and had hired former Endemol Andino and Caracol Televisión executive Juan Maldonado to head the production office as their managing director.[29]
In June 2010, Zodiak Entertainment had announced that they're acquiring UK-based British independent production and distribution company RDF Media Group bringing together Zodiak Entertainment's operations with those of RDF Media Group as David Frank the former CEO and founder of RDF Media and RDF Television becoming the new CEO of the enlarged Zodiak Entertainment group along with chairman and CEO of both De Agostini Group and Zodiak Entertainment Lorenzo Pellicioli continued to serve as chairman of the combined group.[30][31] Three months later in September of that same year, Zodiak Entertainment announced that they're rebranding themselves by renaming it to Zodiak Media Group following Zodiak's acquisition of British independent production company RDF Media Group with RDF's international division RDF Rights being folded into Zodiak's international distribution division Zodiak International Distribution and was being renamed to Zodiak Rights.
In December 2010, Zodiak Media Group announced that they're merging their two existing digital and branded content operations which were Italian Neo Network and British operation RDF Connect into one new global digital division dedicated to creation, production and development named Zodiak Active with president and CEO of Neo Network Marco Ferrari and founder/president of Magnolia and CEO of Zodiak's division Zodiak South Europe Giorgio Gori heading the new division.[32]
On February 24, 2011, Zodiak Media Group had announced that they're launching a children's TV production subsidiary that can specialise its family and youth programs called Zodiak Kids with their existing four kids productions companies along with the Kids & Family sales division of Zodiak Rights being united into one company.[33]
In April 2011, Zodiak Media Group announced a restructuring of its Latin American operations by launching a new division named Zodiak América Latina with Magnolia founder and president of Zodiak Southern Europe Giorgio Gori and chief operating officer Nicola Drago leading the division. Their Miami-based joint venture production company with Ricky Martin Entertainment RM 5to Elemento and Rio de Janeiro-based Brazilian production company Zodiak Brasil was placed under Zodiak América Latina with the former being renamed to Zodiak Latino with Harris Whitbeck became the CEO of the rebranded division.[34]
On July 28, 2011, Zodiak Media Group announced that it had acquired British-based independent producer Bwark Productions, further expanding its British operations in that country.[35]
In January 2012, as part of the wider strategy to strengthen its group operations and dive into future development, Zodiak Media Group announced that they were rebranding the company again this time they changed their name to just Zodiak Media with Vincent Chalvon-Demersay the CEO of Marathon Media being named as Zodiak's chief straight officer.[36][37]
In late-March 2012, Zodiak Media announced that they've sold their Polish television production company Mastiff Media Polska to their management team led by Grzegorz Piekarski in order for Zodiak Media to focus on their Scandinavian market and their Nordic formats with Mastiff Media Polska will be renamed the following months and will work closely with Zodiak's distribution division Zodiak Rights under an exclusive deal.[38][39]
In July 2012, Zodiak Media announced that their consolidating their production operations in the United States by launching their new division named Zodiak Americas.[40]
In June 2015, Zodiak Media had announced that they're in advanced exclusive talks to merge with French-based European global international television production giant Banijay Group that would combine the two companies operations into one pan-European global independent international television production and distribution company under the Banijay Group name. The deal would also bring the latter company back to the British television market.[41] A month later in July of that same year, Zodiak Media announced that they had agreed to merge their operations and their production labels with those of the French-based independent international television production and distribution company Banijay Group with Zodiak CEO Marc-Antoine d'Halluin stepping down following the merger with the founder of Banijay Stéphane Courbit and Banijay's CEO Marco Bassetti will take over of the merged business.[42][43][44][45] A year later in January 2016, Zodiak Media announced that the European Commission (EC) had approved their merger with French-based independent international television and distribution company Banijay Group.[46] A month later in February of that same year, Zodiak Media had announced that they had completed their merger with French-based independent international television production and distribution company Banijay Group as the latter had become the world's biggest leading indie television production company with Zodiak Media's distribution division Zodiak Rights retained its name and Vivendi had acquired a 26% stake in the combined company.[47][48][49][50]
Divisions
Zodiak Nederland
Zodiak Nederland (formerly known as Palm Plus) was a Dutch television production company that was founded in 1992 by Ruud van Breugel and became a division of Zodiak Media in 2008.
Zodiak Los Angeles
Zodiak Los Angeles was founded in 2006 by the British entertainment company and parent company of RDF Television called the RDF Media Group straight under the name RDF USA. After the merger between the British company RDF Media Group and the French entertainment company Zodiak Entertainment along with the rebranding the latter to Zodiak Media Group, Zodiak announced that they merged Zodiak Entertainment US with RDF USA and renamed it as Zodiak USA.[51]
RDF Television
RDF Television is a British independent television production company that was founded in 1993 by David Frank.
In April 2006, RDF Media Group had announced that they had brought rival Cardiff-based Welsh poker television production company Presentable.[52]
In August 2006, RDF Television under their parent company RDF Media Group announced that they had acquired Kent-based children's television producer The Foundation.[53]
In October 2006, RDF Media Group launched a digital arm named RDF Digital Media.[54]
In February 2008, RDF Media Group announced that they've acquired factual independent producer History Television International.[55]
