ITV buys French drama group

UK broadcaster ITV has acquired control of Tetra Media Studio, the French prodco behind drama series Profilage and Un Village Français (pictured).

Tetra becomes the latest French production entity to a major European broadcaster, coming just over a year after Profilages network TF1 controversially acquired Newen Group.

Buying a majority stake in Tetra gives ITV control of a group comprising seven labels, which last year produced 161 hours of programming in France.

Tetra’s scripted prodcos are Emmanuel Daucé’s Tetra Media Fiction, which produces Un Village Français; Stéphane Marsil’s Beauborg Audiovisuel, which has created seven seasons of TF1 drama Profilages; Les Hommes de l’Ombre coproducer Macondo; and the recently-established Gedesel, which Dominique Lancelot leads.

Also in the group is Tangaro, producer of daily talk show Entrée Libre, and Monello, an animation company former Télé Images Productions exec Giorgio Welter leads. It produces toon Max & Maestro, which was originally for France Télévisions, Italy’s Rai and HR, a regional affiliate to Germany’s ARD.

Tetra will operate separately to ITV Studio France, the Paris arm of ITV’s production division, ITV Studios.

ITV Studios International president Maria Kyriacou will join the Tetra board, which will also include Tetra CEO Jean-François Boyer and ITV Studios France president Franck Firmin-Guion.

Boyer bought Tetra in 2004, when it was a single-entity operation. He said Tetra and ITV share “the same artistic ambitions when it comes to TV programmes: doing everything we can to allow creators to initiate high-end TV series”.

“This alliance is very stimulating for all our producers and all the talent we work with, because thanks to the strength of the ITV group we will be able to make French creations spread throughout the world,” he added.

“Jean-François has established Tetra Media Studio as one of the most in-demand producers of drama in France,” said Kyriacou. “Thanks to the top creative talent he attracts, Tetra has an impressive track record of producing returning series and has a strong development pipeline.”

ITV Studios France will remain as ITV’s French formats producer. Last year, it took over the production rights to the Talpa Media catalogue, which had previously gone out through Shine France.