Investment group RedBird IMI is reportedly in advanced talks to buy UK-based production group All3Media in a deal worth in the region of £1 billion.
The Financial Times reported news of the talks, citing people familiar with the matter, and said the deal could complete before Christmas.
RedBird IMI is led by former CNN executive Jeff Zucker and is a joint venture between Gerry Cardinale’s private equity firm RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi’s International Media Investments.
All3Media is jointly owned by Warner Bros Discovery and Liberty Global and houses 50 production labels including Squid Game: The Challenge and The Traitors producer Studio Lambert and Life on our Planet producer Silverback.
All3Media has production companies in the UK, US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand. The group produces more than 4,000 hours annually for linear broadcasters, VOD, social media and other digital platforms.
Other firms including Banijay, Peter Chernin’s North Road and ITV have previously been linked with interest in All3Media.
RedBird IMI is pushing into the UK media sector and is in the process of trying to buy the Telegraph newspaper and Spectator magazine. The deal is being investigated by regulators amid scrutiny of British media ownership rules.
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