CMS has advised longstanding client ITV Studios on the acquisition of a majority stake in Moonage Pictures, one of the UK’s fastest growing independent producers of high-end drama including global hits The Gentlemen and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Other production credits of Moonage Pictures include The Leopard, Bodies, The Pursuit of Love and The Famous Five.
ITV Studios is a leader in content creation, production and global distribution. ITV Studios includes over 60 production labels, and is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster ITV and the ad-funded, free streaming home for ITV, ITVX.
Paul Guite, Corporate Partner and Co-Head of Media at CMS UK, comments: “We are delighted to have advised ITV Studios on this key acquisition. This partnership opens up exciting opportunities for Moonage Pictures, and we look forward to seeing them continue to produce original and entertaining content.”
The acquisition is a further milestone in ITV’s strategy of expanding its international content business, with recent transactions including ITV Studios’ acquisition of a majority stake in multi-award-winning production company Hartswood Films last year, on which CMS also advised.
Paul Guite and Lauren Wood led a multi-disciplinary team advising ITV Studios which included Rachel Smart, Oyin Olukotun and Helena Thornby (Corporate); Victoria Gaskell, Eliza Cohen, Rachel Anderson and Florentina Terholli (Media and IP); Rebecca Stewart and Johanna Dodgson (Tax); and Mala Patel (Share Incentives).
CMS has a full-service media practice with a team of media lawyers advising on the full breadth of work across the sector including content production and financing, broadcast and distribution, music, publishing, theatre, sports rights and media regulation. The firm is a leading adviser on high-profile transactions in the media sector and has worked on transactions shaping the content production sector for over two decades.
