International law firm CMS has advised long standing client BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial content studio and media and streaming business, on the acquisition of ITV’s 50% stake in BritBox International.
Launched in 2017, BritBox International is the world’s leading British specialist streamer and is available in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. The deal will see BBC Studios take full ownership of the BritBox streaming platform. As part of the transaction, the licence agreements with ITV have been extended, allowing ITV content to continue being streamed on BritBox International.
CMS had advised BBC Studios on its partnership with ITV to launch BritBox International in 2017. Reflecting on this latest acquisition, Corporate Partner Simon Morgan commented: “We have advised BBC Studios on the creation of BritBox International since its inception, and it has been an absolute pleasure to guide them on this ultimate acquisition. BritBox International complements BBC Studios’ existing portfolio and will play a crucial role in its ambition to increase its business. We were able to draw on the firm’s deep media sector expertise and extensive knowledge of BBC Studios’ unique market position to close this deal successfully.”
The CMS team was led by Simon Morgan and client relationship partner Selina Potter, and included Sarah Wilson, Adam Legge, Alex Hamilton and Nethya Sea (Corporate Transactions); Eliza Cohen, Rebecca Platt, Georgia Clark, Harry Hall and James Leek (TMIC); Mark Joscelyne (Tax); and Brian Sher, Kabir Garyali, Sebastian Casselbrant-Multala and Louisa Mottaz (TMIC/Regulatory).
