MEDIAWAN TO BUY LAGARDERE STUDIOS FOR $112 MILLION

French media group Mediawan has revealed a plan to acquire a raft of content firms across Europe by striking a deal to buy Lagardere Studios for around €100 million ($112 million) and taking a minority stake in fast-growing German firm Leonine.

Mediawan, which appointed Endemol Shine France’s former Chief Operating Officer Delphine Cazaux as COO in January, said it would create a “pan-European player” and was set to acquire Spanish prodco Good Mood, the audiovisual interests of Groupe Troisième Oeil – owned by Mediawan co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton – and a minority stake in Leonine, the German group backed by US-based private equity firm KKR.

The companies will become part of Mediawan Alliance, controlled by Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, who formed Mediawan in 2015. The new firm will be backed by other financing partners including French insurance firm MACSF and KKR.

Pierre-Antoine Capton, Chairman of Mediawan, will become CEO, with Fred Kogel – currently CEO at Leonine – appointed as deputy CEO. The firm will be based out of Paris and will look to leverage co-production opportunities between France and Germany, as well as looking for further acquisition opportunities across Europe.

“We created Mediawan four years ago with the intention to create a European audiovisual champion to respond to the demand for premium content, and these new operations are unprecedented steps to continue our growth in new European geographies, new formats and with new partners,”  Capton commented.

“The combination with key players like Lagardère Studios and Groupe Troisième Oeil and the cooperation projects with Leonine confirm Mediawan’s strategy. I am particularly proud to lead this group and be able to count on the talent of Fred Kogel and his teams,”  he added.