PARIS – ITV has acquired a majority stake in French production company Tetra Media Studio, continuing the British broadcaster’s wave of acquisitions in European markets with strong local production industries.
Tetra Media Studio’s prominent series include the hit WWII-set drama “Un Village Français,” the French procedural “Profilage” and thriller “Les Hommes de l’Ombre” (co-produced with TMF).
Tetra Media Studio, one of France’s most prolific producers of TV content and upscale scripted programs, groups together seven production labels, notably Tetra Media Fiction, Beaubourg Audiovisuel, Macondo and Gedesel. Last year, the company, which is headed by Jean-François Boyer, produced 161 hours of content, including top-rated drama series and TV movies.
Under the acquisition, the financial terms of which were not disclosed, ITV Studios’ distribution arm, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, will have distribution rights to most of Tetra’s series.
Tetra will continue to operate as an indie producer, but its board will now include Maria Kyriacou, president of ITV Studios International, along with Boyer and Franck Firmin-Guion, president of ITV Studios France.
“Thanks to the top creative talent [Boyer] attracts, Tetra has an impressive track record of producing returning series and has a strong development pipeline,” said Kyriacou, adding: “The group’s strength is in producing world-class television which is absolutely grounded in French culture, but has an appeal well beyond its geographical borders.”
Boyer said Tetra “shared with ITV the same artistic ambitions when it comes to TV programs: doing everything we can to allow creators to initiate high-end TV series.”
ITV Studios France will remain independent from Tetra and will continue to focus on the development and production of ITV Studios and Talpa formats in local markets. ITV acquired Talpa Media, the Dutch creator of “Big Brother” and “The Voice,” in March 2015 for $1.17 billion.
