IMG Media to acquire Indie Tiger Aspect

IMG Media and the multi award-winning London-based independent production company Tiger Aspect Productions have announced an agreement for IMG Media to acquire Tiger Aspect Group.
The deal includes Tiger Aspect's subsidiaries Tigress (adventure and wildlife producer), TTP (Washington DC-based US production company) and Tiger Aspect Pictures.
IMG Media will finance the acquisition entirely with capital from the parent company, Sports, Entertainment and Media Company IMG.
The Tiger Aspect acquisition is part of IMG's strategic growth plans. It will also enable IMG Media to become for the first time, a multi-genre market leader. IMG Media's subsidiaries TWI, the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, and high-end factual specialists Darlow Smithson Productions.
Alastair Waddington, IMG Media Executive Vice President and COO, said: "We are delighted to acquire Tiger Aspect, one of the most exciting independent production companies around. Not only does it have a spectacular track record in producing popular hits around the world, but it also has an enviable reputation for attracting creative talent of the highest calibre and has managed to assemble a top-notch cast of producers and executive producers. Its acquisition realises IMG Media's long-held ambition to become a multi-genre producer, and we look forward to Tiger Aspect's continued success and growth, while maintaining its distinctive identity as a producer of top quality programming."
Tiger Aspect's portfolio contains a wide range of programming including animation and children's, comedy, drama, entertainment, and a broad range of factual output. It also produces wildlife programmes and has a feature film unit which has produced hits ranging from 'Billy Elliot' to 'Kevin and Perry Go Large'.
Tiger Aspect Founder and Chairman Peter Bennett-Jones said: "This is a red letter day in the distinguished history of Tiger Aspect. We are immensely proud of our output and this deal will enhance our ability to make many more memorable programmes for broadcast in the UK and around the world through IMG's extensive international structure. It will also open up new media opportunities and introduce new markets and creative relationships. We are all thrilled to hitch our wagon to the IMG star, to borrow from Emerson, and relish the future opportunities the new ownership brings to us."
Key to the acquisition is Tiger Aspect's outstanding international reputation as a creative independent producer with a proven track record of producing hits across all genres, both within the UK and overseas.
The company has a growing annual output of more than 220 hours and an annual turnover of more than £50m, and, in addition to its London HQ and Bristol office, it has an established production base on the east coast of America.
Tiger Aspect's programme portfolio includes cutting-edge comedy and comedy favourites.
Currently in production are new series of BBC hits Charlie and Lola and detective drama Murphy's Law, the Catherine Tate Show and BBC one's prestige new drama series Robin Hood.
Tiger Aspect has also carved out a reputation for popular but critically-acclaimed factual series like the award-winning The Monastery, Howard Goodall's music series, A Place in.., and A Seaside Parish.
(SP/CD)