Gravity Media completes acquisition of Australia’s Chief Entertainment

UK-based Gravity Media has completed the acquisition of Chief Entertainment - a provider of live studio and production services from Australian telecommunications firm Telstra.

Gravity Media currently operates in Australia under the Gearhouse Broadcast, HyperActive Broadcast and Input Media brands and this acquisition will complement the existing Input Media production centres in the UK as well as its Melbourne production and Sydney post-production facilities.

The transaction was completed on 30 August for an undisclosed amount.

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Chief Entertainment provides production and digital media delivery services to TV networks, sporting federations, entertainment franchises, agencies and commercial brands.

Some 50 staff employed there work to produce short and long-form programmes for both live and post-produced content from branded to commercials.

Gravity Media founder and chief executive John Newton said: “Chief Entertainment’s strengths include strong relationships with major Australian national sporting bodies, music and entertainment industries, as well as the creation of multi-platform entertainment and corporate television programmes involving some of Australia’s premier talent.

“Chief Entertainment has achieved significant external revenue growth over the past three years, has an impressive customer base and is respected for the quality of the work it delivers. We look forward to working with our new colleagues at Chief Entertainment to continue to grow our content production capabilities and deliver enhanced services to our clients.”

Chief Entertainment will continue to operate under its existing name and branding until it is fully integrated with Gravity Media’s Australia operations. Under its new ownership, Chief Entertainment will continue to provide Telstra with production services for its enterprise division, digital sports rights and media services.

As the two businesses integrate and grow globally, Chief Entertainment chief operations officer Scott Kinlyside who has been with the company for the past 15 years and his team will continue to manage and grow the business as it is integrated into Gravity Media’s operations within Australia.

Hamish Cameron has stepped down as chief executive of Chief Entertainment but will continue to work with Gravity Media as it integrates the operations with those of its existing Australian businesses.

This is the fifth acquisition that Gravity Media has made since securing investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners in September 2016.

In 2017 it took over sports production company Input Media, and Australian communications solutions company Stranger Designs. In March 2018 it bought Genesis Broadcast Services and rebranded to gearHouse Broadcast Germany, to servce the markets of Northern Europe.

In July 2018 it acquired Proshow Broadcast, a supplier of mobile production solutions in the USA and Canada and has been successfully integrated into Gravity Media’s Gearhouse Broadcast USA operations.