Mediawan partners with financing specialist Entourage Ventures

Pan-European audiovisual content producer Mediawan Group and the investment company Entourage Ventures, a recognized player in the financing of film and audiovisual projects, announced the conclusion of a co-investment agreement for the financing of series with international potential. Under this agreement, signed for a period of four to six years, Entourage, with its expertise in the sector with major studios and independent producers, is now working with Mediawan Rights, the Mediawan Group's distribution subsidiary, to co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute series with international potential, thereby enriching Mediawan Rights' catalogue and strengthening its worldwide development strategy.

Under this strategic agreement, investments and revenue will be shared 50/50, with Mediawan handling the operational distribution of the series and Entourage contributing its expertise in this type of co-investment and its ecosystem of professional investors, including 123 Investment Managers, a private equity firm; Audiens, the social protection group for the film and audiovisual industries; and the Hottinguer Bank.

This agreement, which covers drama, animated and documentary series, covers future productions as well as a large number of ambitious existing Mediawan Rights projects (such as “Zorro” or “Civilizations,” adaptation of the best-seller by Laurent Binet) and Mediawan Kids and Family Distribution, the Group's structure dedicated to projects geared towards kids and families.

“This is an important step in our deployment strategy. By partnering with an expert like Entourage for the production of series, we continue to achieve our international ambitions,”  commented Pierre-Antoine Capton, President and Co-Founder of Mediawan.

Elisabeth d'Arvieu, CEO of Mediawan Pictures, and Valérie Vleeschhouwer, CEO of Mediawan Rights, said: "We are giving ourselves the tools to continue to invest massively in the most ambitious productions but also to support a greater number of projects. We are delighted with this association which offers new opportunities for creative talents, for an European creation with an open vision, which travels far and speaks to an international audience.”

Julien Delajoux, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Entourage Ventures, added: “This partnership with Mediawan marks a key step in our development with institutional investors and Family Offices, constantly seeking innovative and more efficient solutions. Entourage is strengthening its position as a leading investment platform in the sector. We are very pleased to support Mediawan in its international ambitions and to build up a catalogue of premium audiovisual content together.”

Matthias Nicodeme, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Entourage Ventures, concluded: "The pool of strong intellectual property in European series, the fundamentals of this asset and the context of new financing requirements for streaming platforms make this partnership with Mediawan a very attractive opportunity.”