Endemol Acquires Darlow Smithson from IMG
• Endemol acquires leading UK producers with combined portfolio spanning drama, comedy, animation, children's, entertainment, factual, features and feature films
• Tiger Aspect, Darlow Smithson and Tigress to retain creative freedom with backing from Endemol UK management
• Endemol to globally represent the portfolio of all three companies via Endemol Worldwide Distribution and the group’s format sales operation
Endemol, a world leader in entertainment programming today announced that it has acquired
Tiger Aspect, Darlow Smithson and Tigress from IMG, effective immediately. Financial terms of
the transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in London with offices in New York, Tiger Aspect Productions is one of the UK's
most successful independent television producers working across a range of genres including
drama, comedy, animation, children's, entertainment, factual, features and feature films.
Recent productions include Secret Diary of a Call Girl (ITV2), Ross Kemp on Gangs (Sky One),
Benidorm (ITV1), The Home Show (Channel 4), Harry and Paul (BBC ONE), Charlie & Lola
(CBBC) and An Island Parish (BBC Two). In the US Tiger’s hit programming includes two series
of Make Me A Supermodel for Bravo and Cook Yourself Thin for Lifestyle.
The company is also behind established drama and comedy hits such as Robin Hood (BBC
ONE), Vicar of Dibley (BBC ONE), Catherine Tate (BBC ONE) and many more.
Darlow Smithson Productions is one of the world's leading production companies producing high
quality documentaries and docu-dramas for UK, US and international broadcasters. The company
is headquartered in the UK with offices in New York and Singapore.
Credits include The Falling Man (Channel 4) Thriller in Manila (More4), The Diary of Anne Frank
(BBC ONE/Fr2), Miracle on the Hudson (Channel 4/TLC US), The Beckoning Silence (Channel
4), Killer in a Small Town – The Ipswich Murders (Channel 4) and Touching the Void, the most
successful British feature documentary in UK box office history.
The company is also behind popular factual series including Richard Hammond’s Engineering
Connections (Natgeo Int/BBC Two), Megastructures (Natgeo US/ Natgeo Int), Convoy (History
Canada/Natgeo Int/Channel 4/Smithsonian) and high-end special Stephen Hawking’s Universe
(Discovery Channels). Darlow Smithson also incorporates Tigress productions, which specialises
in wildlife, science and adventure documentaries.
Tiger Aspect, Darlow Smithson and Tigress will now report into Endemol UK management. The
portfolios of all three companies will be globally represented by Endemol Worldwide Distribution
and Endemol Group’s format sales operation.
Andrew Zein, Managing Director of Tiger Aspect comments: “Endemol is the real deal – a fully
functioning global creative business. They understand and appreciate what we do and how we
do it. For us this is the dream deal we thought would never happen. We’ve found the ideal
home.”
John Smithson, Executive Chairman Darlow Smithson and Tigress comments: “This is an exciting
opportunity for both Darlow Smithson and Tigress. We can enjoy creative freedom whilst having
all the benefits of being part of a global media player”
Tim Hincks, CEO of Endemol UK, comments: “We’re extremely excited about working with three
of the most successful and creative production companies in the UK. They represent a collection
of some of the best creatives in the business and are behind a dazzlingly wide range of genres.
We want to back them and give them the freedom to further grow, both in the UK and around the
world.”
Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Endemol Group adds: “This acquisition enhances our global
business in key areas such as drama and further strengthens our program distribution activities,
which will now include one of the UK’s best programming libraries. It also further expands our
creative output across multiple genres including factual and kids programming. Companies of this
calibre are extremely hard to come by on today’s market, so as an organisation that is
continuously on the lookout for strategic acquisitions we are very excited about this opportunity. “
Chris Davis, IMG Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer comments: "These
companies have never been synergistic with IMG's core business. We believe they are an
excellent fit with Endemol's global network of companies and we wish them, their managements
and employees great success in the future. IMG will continue to focus its resources on our
exceptional global core capabilities including further expansion into large new high growth
markets."
IMG was advised on the sale by The Raine Group.