05/04/2016 - The European major has announced equity investments in three companies that produce TV fiction in Spain and the UK

European major StudioCanal, which operates in the fields of the production, acquisition, distribution and international sales of films and TV series (including under its own brand name in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and New Zealand) and possesses the worldwide rights for a catalogue of 5,000 titles, has been making the most of the spotlight currently shining on MIPTV in Cannes (4-7 April 2016), which gathers together professionals from all around the world, to announce that it is speeding up its development via equity investments in three independent European firms.

StudioCanal has acquired 33% of Spanish outfit Bambú Producciones, and 20% of British companies Urban Myth Films and Sunny March TV (founded recently by famous British actor Benedict Cumberbatch), and these equity purchases have been rounded off by distribution agreements.

According to Didier Lupfer, president of StudioCanal, “These three production outfits are among the most promising in Europe, and we are delighted to be working alongside them. As with cinema, our ambition is to produce series that are firmly entrenched in Europe and that will also be able to appeal to a global audience. This is an important stage in StudioCanal’s development, and in this way it is asserting its ambition to produce top-quality series.”

This enthusiasm is shared by Romain Bessi, deputy managing director of StudioCanal, and also head of television activities: “Bambú gives us access to the Spanish market, which is particularly creative and dynamic, and where national series are really popular amongst the public. Urban Myth Films and Sunny March will enable us to further strengthen our presence in the United Kingdom, with some top-drawer talents. Through these agreements, we are expanding our European footprint. The aim is to create a single family of production companies in Europe with prestigious talents, and which can benefit from the group’s assets to further increase their influence on an international level, thanks to its distribution network and its powerful position in film as well as music with Universal Music Group."

As a reminder, StudioCanal is already active in the production of TV fiction via its Tandem subsidiary in Germany and Red Production Company in the UK, as well as its stakes in Sam (Denmark) and Guilty Party (UK).

(Translated from French)