Exclusive: Moonbug to ramp up IP portfolio following acquisition

Global kids content firm Moonbug Entertainment will seek to create and acquire “more and better IP” following its recent acquisition by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone Group-backed investment outfit.

The purchase last week was the second acquisition for the as-yet unnamed Mayer-Staggs firm, which acquired the CoComelon rights holder in a deal valued by Bloomberg sources at $3bn. It had previously picked up Reese Witherspoon’s Big Little Lies producer Hello Sunshine for $900m in August.

“We’re very happy about our new partners and investors,” said Nicolas Eglau, Moonbug’s MD of EMEA, speaking to TBI this week, who added that the deal would allow the company to “build the next chapter of the Moonbug story.”

Eglau said he felt “lucky” to gain access to former Disney exec Mayer and added that Blackstone “is obviously a company that that keeps investing, so this gives us access to more resources to invest into more and better IP.”

The EMEA exec said that there will be no changes to the Moonbug team as a result of the acquisition and that the influx of funds would open the doors to further expansion for the company, which also holds the rights to kids franchises including Blippi and Little Baby Bum.

“A vast combination of talent and funds that we can use to build more IP and potentially acquire more IP is super appealing,” said Eglau.

“At the same time, our team is there, we stay all together, that means we have the continuity of a successful team, plus people that will help us, plus funds we have to acquire and produce more great content. That makes us very excited.”