A leading Midlands law firm has helped a key international client acquire a global distributor and owner of factual and documentary television programmes.
Wright Hassall, based in Leamington Spa, undertook all the UK legal work for Amcomri Entertainment Inc. which has announced it has bought the assets of Flame Media which has offices in Australia and the UK.
Flame Media has about 560 titles and 2,200 hours of high-end factual programming in its content library including Outback Truckers and Outback Opal Hunters from Prospero Productions, The Moors Murders from MAP TV, and Life in Colour with David Attenborough from Humble Bee Films and SeaLight Pictures.
Flame Media will operate alongside Amcomri’s TV content distribution business Abacus Media Rights, increasing their joint offering to more than 3,000 hours of programming.
Wright Hassall’s Robert Lee, who is one of the partners in the firm’s corporate law group, said this acquisition fitted in with Amcomri’s international expansion plans.
He said: “This is a really exciting addition to Amcomri and will further cement its position in the distribution sector of top-quality television programmes.
“We have been involved in the UK legal aspect of the deal and it has all gone smoothly working with our counterparts in Australia.
“The business is really going from strength to strength this year and it is great to be playing a part in its continued growth.”
Robert Price, CEO of Amcomri, said: “This acquisition, fully aligned with our buy-and-build growth strategy, strengthens our global offering in the factual and documentary TV content distribution and library markets, building on the remarkable success we have enjoyed in those sectors through our subsidiary, Abacus Media Rights.
“Key sales staff from Flame Media will continue to work in the new Flame business to enable a seamless transition and to ensure that buyers and producers alike continue to receive the highest level of service they’ve grown accustomed to at Flame, along with the added benefits of being part of a catalogue that includes our wonderfully scripted TV content.”
Flame Media’s Content Sales and Acquisitions Director Fiona Gilroy added: “Abacus has a very similar ethos to Flame and really understand what is needed to be a successful distributor in today’s environment.
“They are keen to work with producers at all stages of production as Flame has been and to help bring finance plans together for new productions. With support from the Amcomri Entertainment Group, they are well placed to do this.”
Caption: Robert Lee, of Wright Hassall