ITV takes 25% stake in Carbon Media

by Tristan O'Carroll, mediaweek.co.uk 06-Jan-09, 15:05

LONDON - ITV is continuing to expand its global content business, acquiring a 25% stake in factual independent producer Carbon Media for £1.1m.

The investment is part of ITV's strategy to increase its production business by owning and creating more content. It aims to increase its annual global content revenue to £1bn by the end of 2012.

Carbon Media is best known for its Jump Britain and Decoding the Nativity productions for Channel 4.

It was founded in 2004 by Mike Christie and Mike Smith. Christie has forged a career in event design and production, promotion, video production, and marketing, for clients including Suede, Pet Shop Boys and Walt Disney.

Smith is best known as a writer, director and producer of documentaries, including more than a dozen films for the BBC’s Horizon and Everyman strands.

Under the terms of the deal, ITV Studios will invest £1.1m in Carbon for the issue to ITV Studios of new shares in Carbon, representing 25% of Carbon's enlarged issued share capital. lTV Studios will also make a development facility of £150,000 available to Carbon for five years.

ITV said the deal represented further progress in ITV's strategy for content-led growth, through production of high value formats with strong secondary sales potential.

Last year, ITV acquired a 51.2% stake in Berlin-based TV production business Imago TV Film.