Fremantle has entered a conditional purchase agreement to acquire global production studio Asacha Media Group and its portfolio of labels based in France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Fremantle is acquiring Asacha from its founding partners, managers and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management.
Based in Paris and founded in 2020, Asacha comprises eight labels across scripted, unscripted and feature films: France’s Kabo Family, Mintee and Srab Films; Italy’s Picomedia and Stand By Me; and the UK’s Arrow Media, Red Planet Pictures and Wag.
Asacha will continue to be run by Co-Founder and Group CEO Gaspard de Chavagnac who will report to Fremantle’s Group COO and CEO Continental Europe, Andrea Scrosati. De Chavagnac will continue to be supported by Marina Williams as Chief Content Officer of Asacha. Asacha’s labels will continue to report to De Chavagnac.
Asacha slate includes Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise (Red Planet Pictures, BBC One); Mare Fuori and La Storia (Picomedia, Rai 1) and feature film Saint Omer (Srab Films).
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The acquisition of Asacha follows a number of strategic investments made by Fremantle in recent years, including acclaimed Irish production company Element Pictures (Normal People, Poor Things), UK’s Dancing Ledge Productions (The Responder, Big Mood) and scripted Italian production company Lux Vide (Devils, Leonardo).
Fremantle’s existing businesses in the regions in which Asacha operates include Talkback, Thames, Naked, Label 1, Euston Films, Dancing Ledge Productions, Wildstar Films and 72 Films (UK); Fremantle France, Kwaï (France) and Fremantle Italy, The Apartment Pictures, Wildside and Lux Vide (Italy).
Andrea Scrosati, Group COO and CEO Continental Europe, Fremantle, said: “Fremantle is proud to be investing and partnering with the very best international creative talent. Gaspard de Chavagnac, Marina Williams, and Marc-Antoine d’Halluin and the incredible producers and talents that have created Asacha certainly fall into this category, and we are delighted they have chosen to join the Fremantle family.”
Gaspard de Chavagnac, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Asacha Media Group, said: “I am thrilled about this deal with Fremantle, one of the world’s leading studios for television and movie production. Fremantle will bring all its expertise and resources in premium content development and distribution, to accelerate the growth of our fantastic creative labels. I am very excited to pursue this exciting journey with Andrea Scrosati and all the Fremantle team. I also want to thank Oaktree for their support in our growth so far.”
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