Gravity Media Group Acquires Proshow Broadcast

Gravity Media Group has furthered its presence in North America with the acquisition of Proshow Broadcast.

The company supplies mobile production solutions to broadcasters, producers and rights holders throughout the USA and Canada.

Proshow Broadcast will continue to operate under its existing name and branding until it is integrated with Gravity Media's Gearhouse Broadcast USA operations. Tim Lewis, who founded Proshow Broadcast in 2012, will join the Gearhouse Broadcast USA team in a senior role leading the product R&D effort.

Proshow Broadcast operates seven HD production trucks that provide complete, field productions or REMI (REMote Integration) centralised productions. These medium and small sized units cover a wide range of events including sports, entertainment, news, and corporate functions across the US. The Proshow units will complement Gearhouse Broadcast USA's current fleet of high-end mobile production units, which includes Columbus, Skye and Iona. The combined fleet will be based out of Gearhouse Broadcast USA's facilities in Charlotte, NC and Los Angeles, CA.

This is the fourth acquisition that Gravity Media has made since securing substantial investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners in September 2016. Last year it took over leading sports production company Input Media, to enable the business to offer end-to-end solutions including high-end production and technical facilities, and Australian communications solutions company Stranger Designs to expand its event communications offering. Then in March 2018 it bought Genesis Broadcast Services and immediately rebranded it as Gearhouse Broadcast Germany to serve the production markets of Northern Europe.

Discussing the announcement, John Newton, CEO of Gravity Media, said: "Proshow Broadcast has achieved significant growth since it started in 2012, has an impressive customer base and is respected for the quality of service it delivers. We see it as a natural fit within our business in the region and look forward to working with Tim and the rest of the team to continue to grow Gearhouse Broadcast USA."

Michael Harabin, president of Gearhouse Broadcast USA added: "We understand the need for more effective and cost efficient remote productions and this acquisition further strengthens Gearhouse Broadcast USA's ability to deliver solutions in this area. I've worked with Proshow Broadcast in the past and was always impressed by the level of technological innovation and quality of service that Tim and his impressive team regularly delivered. This acquisition firmly establishes Gearhouse Broadcast as a leader providing technologically advanced mobile units and cost efficient production workflows in North America."

Tim Lewis, CEO of Proshow Broadcast, said: "Joining Gravity Media is a proud moment for myself and the rest of our fantastic team and highlights how quickly and successfully we have built up our business. Proshow Broadcast's visionary approach to developing solutions for our customers provides a strong foundation to further develop our products and services with the worldwide reach and presence of Gravity Media. We are delighted to be joining Michael and his team working towards high-end yet cost efficient production models and workflows. Now is the right time to become part of something bigger with added flexibility, resources and services on offer to further benefit our loyal customers. We're very excited about the future."

Recent projects for Proshow Broadcast include providing mobile facilities at The Oscars, SAG Awards, Latin Grammys, Canada Sevens Rugby, MLB Baseball, and over 350 events annually for PAC-12 Networks and 100 events annually for ESPN. Proshow Audiovisual will not be included in the transaction and will remain with its current owners.

www.gravitymedia.co.uk