TV M&A specialist acquires rival in int’l push

About Corporate Finance, the television-focused M&A firm that has overseen deals including Tinopolis’ acquisition of A Smith & Co and Sony’s acquisition of Left Bank Pictures, has bought rival Mediatique’s corporate finance unit.

The deal will help ACF expand its advisory business into the US TV production market, which is said to be fertile ground for acquisitions. Sources close the TV M&A market have long expected a raft of new deals in the US production market to begin, with the UK market almost completely consolidated.

ACF has paid an undisclosed amount for the Mediatique business, which was launched in 2011 by Tom Manwaring and counts Firecracker Films’ sale to Tinopolis, Endemol’s capture of Israeli producer Kuperman and Warner Bros.’s acquisition of Shed Media among its deals.

Manwaring’s dealings total more than £500 million in company sales and AIM listings. He becomes a managing director, alongside the newly promoted Sachin Dosani and Richard Gray, and will initially be based in London, though ACF has launched offices in New York and LA. Thomas Dey remains as CEO.

ACF is the leading UK-based TV production M&A firm but has been targeting more busines in the US and counts A Smith,

“Tom Manwaring and his team will add an exciting new dimension to a truly international marketing leading business. Having Tom as a shareholder and new partner will consolidate our position on a global basis,” said Dey.