France’s Mediawan has acquired German group Leonine Studios.
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm KKR. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO Fred Kogel will head operations in the German-speaking regions and will join Mediawan’s executive committee.
Leonine was founded in 2019 by Kogel and his management team with financial support from KKR and Atwater Capital. It has since acquired German TV and film production, distribution and licencing companies including TMG, Universum Film, Wiedemann & Berg Film, BeetzBros Film Production and Toon2Tango.
Leonine companies have produced or co-produced titles such as The Lives of Others, School Of Magical Animals, Dark and The Gryphon. Leonine has German rights to titles including the John Wick franchise, Knives Out, Everything, Everywhere All At Once and The Zone Of Interest.
Mediawan’s presence now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux, and the UK in Europe, alongside operations in Africa, Asia, and the US.
Founded in 2015, Mediawan is controlled by its co-founders – veteran producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse - with financial backing from KKR, Bpifrance, MACSF, Societe Generale, and Atwater Capital.
They have since built it into a significant international producer and distributor on the back of a string of acquisitions, including France’s AB Productions, Storia Television (the former TV division of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp), the UK’s Drama Republic and Italy’s Palomar. Mediawan expanded beyond its core European market in 2022 with a headline-grabbing investment in Brad Pitt’s Plan B.
Mediawan’s company credits include titles such as Call My Agent, Three Body Problem, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, One Day, and Bob Marley: One Love.
For several years Mediawan and Leonine have co-operated via joint venture Mediawan & Leonine Studios. This has a presence in the UK, having bought into UK producer Drama Republic (One Day, The English) in 2021.
Capton said: “With the addition of Leonine Studios, we have achieved an important milestone in Mediawan’s strategy to create a panEuropean studio with a strong presence in all key markets.”
Kogel added: “Our combination with Mediawan to create a pan-European powerhouse is the next step and will bring exciting benefits to our valued partners and customers in Germany, the US and beyond.”
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