Endemol Shine strikes deal with Seacrest’s prodco

The US division of Endemol Shine has inked a deal with the unscripted division of Ryan Seacrest’s production company.

The RSP division will become a subsidiary of Endemol Shine North America under the terms of the development and coproduction deal, sitting alongside Authentic Entertainment, Original Media, True Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment.

Financial details were not disclosed, but Endemol Shine said it expects the agreement to close in December.A spokesman said Endemol Shine will not have an ownership position in RSP.

After the deal is finalised Jeff Refold will continue as COO/CFO for RSP and Eugene Young as president, unscripted programming.

RSP’s scripted division is not part of the deal. It is run by, executive VP, scripted programming Nina Wass, and will continue its overall deal at CBS Studios. RSP is currently producing the scripted drama series Shades of Blue for NBC, starring Jennifer Lopez set to premiere in 2015.

“Of all the potential partners, there’s no doubt Endemol Shine is the best fit for our unscripted division,” said Seacrest, who founded RSP in 2006. “This new partnership enables us to retain our brand independence, while also giving us a fantastic opportunity to access international resources, invigorating our storytelling possibilities, and helping us scale the business in a smart way.”

Charlie Corwin and Cris Abrego, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of Endemol Shine North America said in a joint statement: “Ryan is not only one of the TV industry’s leading broadcasters, but over the last decade, he has also proven to be one to the top producers of unscripted programming in the world.”

The pair added: “We are thrilled Ryan and his talented team will join our family of award-winning production companies at Endemol Shine, where we can now offer unmatched global distribution and resources.”