International VOD aggregator Under The Milky Way has acquired a majority stake in London-based digital distributor Content Republic.

The move gives Paris-headquartered Milky Way its first base in the UK.

Under The Milky Way is operational in most European countries as well as in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

The company works with clients including Pathe, Gaumont, Scanbox, and Lucky Red to get their films on platforms such as iTunes, Vudu and Sony Playstation.

 Content Republic, founded in 2006 by Michel Peters and Tuen Hilte [pictured],  works mostly with platforms in the UK and North America.

Content Republic will now be amalgamated into the Under The Milky Way network; Hilte will be in charge of the company’s UK operations.

Hilte said:  “What Pierre-Alexandre, Jerome and Alexis have achieved in barely two years since they founded Under The Milky Way is unrivalled. This is the perfect  evolution for Content Republic, as our clients will now be able to benefit from the economies of scale that are possible by becoming part of Under The Milky Way. I look forward to working with the team to build on our collective experience and position the company to help our clients capitalize on the continuing growth of video on demand.

Pierre-Alexandre Labelle added: “We are very pleased to be partnering with Teun in the launch of Under The Milky Way’s activities in the UK. His knowledge of the UK home entertainment industry combined with his entrepreneurial experience in setting up Content Republic is very valuable to the UMW network. This acquisition is a major new step for UMW in offering a seamless, efficient and transparent international digital distribution solution for our clients.”