Asacha acquires ‘Seven Days On Mars’ producer Arrow International Media

Brian Cox: Seven Days On Mars

European production group Asacha Media has acquired UK-based factual producer Arrow International Media.

Asacha took a majority stake in the firm, which is behind titles including See No Evil and American Monster for Investigation Discovery, Magic Of Disney’s Animal Kingdom for National Geographic and Disney+ and Brian Cox: Seven Days On Mars for the BBC.

The acquisition was financed via a mix of equity provided by the existing shareholders and debt financing provided by Tikehau Capital, the firm having struck a €41m ($47m) investment deal with Asacha in January 2022.

Founded in 2011 by Tom Brisley, John Smithson, and Iain Pelling, Arrow produces more than 100 hours of factual content each year for networks and streaming platforms in the US and UK, across genres including true crime, history, nature, adventure, and science.

Brisley and Pelling will continue to lead Arrow as co-managing directors, while Smithson has chosen to step back from the company. He will deliver his current productions and then work independently, with Arrow and Asacha having a first look deal on new projects. Brisley and Pelling will retain a minority stake in Arrow, with Brisley also becoming a shareholder in Asacha.

The deal comes as part of Asacha’s growth plans, with the group – which launched in 2020 and is led by co-CEOs Gaspard de Chavagnac and Marina Williams, and Marc Antoine d’Halluin, vice-chairman of the board – aiming aims to double the size of the business by 2026.

Arrow joins an existing stable of seven production companies including Italian production houses, Picomedia and Stand By Me, and French production company Mintee Studio, as well as UK factual producer WAG Entertainment, UK drama producer Red Planet Pictures, French scripted studio Kabo Family and French producer Srab Films, which Asacha took control of just under a year ago.

“Arrow’s market-leading position in the fast-growing factual space, along with their strong leadership and ambitious plans for the future, make them an ideal fit for Asacha. Bringing them into our group makes us a major player in English language factual across key markets including the US and UK.

“Our focus will be accelerating Arrow’s growth and extending their reach into new territories as they build on their reputation for world-class series and features that captivate global audiences,” said Gaspard de Chavagnac and Marina Williams.