International law firm CMS has advised longstanding client ITV Studios on the acquisition of a majority stake in Hartswood Films, the award-winning production company behind popular scripted series including the recent ITVX and ITV1 series Douglas Is Cancelled, Prime Video’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller The Devil’s Hour and the BBC’s Emmy award winning Sherlock which has sold to over 200 territories worldwide.
ITV Studios is a leader in content creation, production and global distribution. It includes over 60 production labels and is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster.
This acquisition represents a further milestone in ITV’s strategy of expanding its international content business and, as part of the transaction, ITV Studios will handle the international distribution for future Hartswood Films commissions.
CMS Corporate partner and Co-head of the Media practice, Paul Guite, comments: "We are delighted to have advised ITV Studios on this key acquisition and look forward to seeing Hartswood continue to produce compelling content under ITV’s ownership. This partnership will allow Hartswood Films’ content to reach even more viewers around the globe.”
Paul Guite and Lauren Wood led a multi-disciplinary team advising ITV Studios which included Amy Bainbridge, Chris Edge, Lisa Franco and Rebecca Selt (Corporate), Mark Joscelyne and Johanna Dodgson (Tax), and Rebekah Hayes, Laurel O’Dell, Sarah Hopton, Jake Sargent and Innocent Maramba (Media).
CMS 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.
