Mediawan
| Company type | Société Anonyme |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, Entertainment |
| Founded | December 15, 2015 in Paris, France |
| Founder | Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse, Pierre-Antoine Capton |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | Europe, United States, Africa, Australia |
Key people | Pierre-Antoine Capton (President), Orla Noonan (CEO) |
| Products | Audiovisual production and distribution |
| Owner | Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (majority) |
Mediawan S.A. is a prominent French media conglomerate specializing in international audiovisual production and distribution. Established on December 15, 2015, by Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse, and Pierre-Antoine Capton, the company was initially created as a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) with the objective of acquiring media production and distribution entities throughout Europe. The founders envisioned constructing "one of the largest platforms for European content."
Through targeted acquisitions such as EuropaCorp's French television division and Groupe AB, Mediawan has significantly broadened its presence in European TV content markets. Based in Paris, the enterprise manages several divisions including Mediawan Originals, Mediawan Pictures, Mediawan Rights, and Mediawan Studios Spain. Generating revenues of approximately $1.3 billion, Mediawan is majority-owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and is led by President Pierre-Antoine Capton alongside CEO Orla Noonan.
The company's diverse portfolio encompasses various media formats and markets, establishing it as a major force within Europe's entertainment sector.
Foundation, Initial Acquisitions, and Growth (2015–2020)
Mediawan was launched on December 15, 2015, as an acquisition-focused entity with the aim of assembling an international audiovisual group through strategic purchases across France and wider Europe.
The firm debuted on the stock market on April 22, 2016, successfully raising €250 million ($310 million). By January 2017, Mediawan entered exclusive talks to acquire French audiovisual firm AB Groupe for €270 million, which included production companies, an international distribution arm, and pay-TV channels. The acquisition concluded by late March 2017, marking Mediawan’s expansion into premium content production and distribution.
In mid-2017, Mediawan initiated the purchase of a controlling interest in documentary producer Clarke Costelle & Co (CC&C), completing the deal in July alongside acquiring the remaining 35% share of Luxembourg’s RTL9 from RTL Group. December 2017 saw negotiations to acquire a majority stake in ON Entertainment—comprising animation label Method Animation and feature film divisions—for roughly €50 million. This acquisition finalized in June 2018 introduced Mediawan into the animation sector and prompted a reorganization into four groups with ON Entertainment rebranded as ON Kids & Family.
January 2018 brought the purchase of EuropaCorp’s French television production division (renamed Storia Television), enhancing Mediawan’s drama offerings and international catalog. Concurrently, stakes were negotiated in scripted producers Mon Voisin Productions and Makever Group. By March 2018, Mediawan completed the Makever Group acquisition followed by finalizing the Mon Voisin stake in October. That same month involved restructuring into four audiovisual divisions while rebranding AB Groupe and its distribution unit under Mediawan as Mediawan Thematics and Mediawan Rights respectively.
In December 2018, Mediawan acquired a 50% interest in film producer Mai Juin Productions, integrating it into its content creation branch Mediawan Originals with founder Gilles de Maistre joining the company.
January 2019 marked Mediawan's initial expansion beyond France through acquiring a 53% stake in Italian production house Palomar; plans were made by March to increase ownership to 75%, maintaining founder Carlo Degli Esposti as a minority shareholder.
In April 2019, ON Kids & Family secured a majority share in Joann Sfar’s animation studio Nice Pictures to develop adaptations of Sfar’s works for film and television. The following month, Mediawan collaborated with producer Noor Sadar and Belgian company Entre Chien et Loups to launch Black Swan Tales—a venture focused on genre films with modest budgets.
September 2019 witnessed the establishment of NC Production under CEO Nicole Collet. In October, Mediawan expanded its French and international series capabilities by acquiring a controlling interest in French film production firm Radar Films.
February 2020 featured the acquisition of a majority stake in premium documentary and scripted content producer Black Dynamite. By June, ON Kids & Family rebranded Nice Pictures as Magical Society with seasoned producer Aton Soumache joining leadership alongside Joann Sfar; their debut project was based on Sfar’s Little Vampire comic series.
On June 22, 2020, Mediawan announced the formation of pan-European entity Mediawan Alliance along with minority investments in German company Leonine Holding and Spanish producer Good Mood. Simultaneously, it entered negotiations to purchase Lagardère Studios for €100 million to strengthen its international reach including within Spain. The Alliance also pursued further acquisitions such as audiovisual activities from French hip-hop collective Troisième Œil.
By November 2, 2020, Mediawan finalized the Lagardère Studios acquisition along with its subsidiaries; integrated Troisième Œil’s audiovisual operations; acquired a minority shareholding in Madrid-based Weekend Studio—solidifying its status as a pan-European entertainment leader. On November 11, it established Mediawan Studios Spain to consolidate its Spanish production companies under one unified division.
Significant genre diversification, rebranding initiatives, and 10th anniversary milestones (2021–present)
In March 2021, Mediawan introduced Explore, a documentary-centric SVOD platform available exclusively on Apple TV, marking its debut in the French streaming sector.
By July 2021, Mediawan and German firm Leonine Holding rebranded their joint enterprise as Mediawan & Leonine Studios. Concurrently, they secured a controlling interest in UK-based drama producer Drama Republic, thereby entering the British and English-language markets while retaining founders Greg Brenman and Roanna Benn in leadership roles. That same month, Mediawan bolstered its French film production capabilities through the acquisition of Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, headquartered in Paris, which was subsequently integrated into Mediawan Pictures.
January 2022 witnessed the establishment of a Los Angeles branch for Mediawan & Leonine Studios, with Caroline Kusser appointed executive vice president to manage international co-production ventures. The following month, Mediawan reorganized its Finnish subsidiary Aito Media by recruiting seasoned professionals Lauri Nurkse and Emilia Valentin. By May, Aito Media underwent rebranding to become Mediawan Finland, marking the first production entity to adopt the parent company’s name since 2018.
June 2022 signaled a strategic pivot towards youth-oriented content with ON Kids & Family rebranded as Mediawan Kids & Family. This division consolidated animation labels including Method Animation, Magical Society, ON Animation Studios, and ON Classics. Alongside this consolidation, two new studios were launched: Somewhere Animation, specializing in traditional animation, and Elliott Studio focusing on live-action projects. Additionally, Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution was established to oversee program distribution.
In September 2022, Mediawan collaborated with Oscar-winning director Florian Zeller to create Blue Morning Pictures, a French-American production company funded by Mediawan. The next month saw Mediawan Rights enter the Web3 arena by unveiling Metawan, a metaverse platform designed to provide buyers with access to its content catalog.
On 30 October 2022, Mediawan commenced exclusive negotiations to acquire a substantial stake in Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. By December, the acquisition was finalized, bringing Plan B under Mediawan’s umbrella and inaugurating the dedicated US division known as Mediawan US.
In February 2023, Mediawan Kids & Family secured majority ownership of Wildseed Studios based in Bristol—its inaugural international acquisition in scripted and animation production. Expansion into Dutch markets occurred in April with the majority purchase of Amsterdam-based Submarine, enhancing both animation and film production capacities.
May 2023 involved acquiring Côte Ouest Audiovisuel in Ivory Coast through Mediawan Africa, thereby broadening African operations while Canal+ International retained a minority stake. In July, majority control was obtained over Parisian film producer 24 25 Films.
January 2024 featured the acquisition of Misfits Entertainment in London, strengthening factual programming and English-language content offerings. April marked the rebranding of Dutch label Skyhigh TV to Mediawan Skyhigh in celebration of its 25th anniversary. That same month also included an all-stock agreement for full acquisition of Munich-based Leonine Holding from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts—subject to regulatory approval—positioning Mediawan as a pan-European leader in film and television production with founder Fred Kogel joining the executive team.
In May 2024, a partnership was formed with independent animation studio ZAG to launch Miraculous Corp., consolidating the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir franchise under a new entity where Mediawan Kids & Family holds a 60% stake.
August 2024 saw the purchase of Rome-based Italian production company Our Films. The following month, Mediawan entered into a global content collaboration with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company to develop film and television projects including Weekend Warriors.
On 23 November 2024, reports identified Mediawan among potential bidders for ITV plc alongside CVC Capital Partners and others in a possible acquisition involving key assets such as ITV Studios.
In February 2025, facing industry challenges after eleven years of operation, Mediawan Kids & Family closed Montreal-based ON Animation Studios; its animation activities were absorbed internally or managed via partnerships. The subsequent month marked Mediawan’s entry into the Australian market through acquiring a 51% stake in British/Australian Oscar-winning See-Saw Films—with founders Iain Canning and Emile Sherman continuing leadership ahead of Mediawan’s tenth anniversary.
June 2025 included the acquisition of Parisian Les Films Entre 2&4 to expand French production capabilities. Under comedian Jonathan Cohen along with collaborators Benjamin Bellecour and Jean-Toussaint Bernard, the company continues developing films and series within the Mediawan group.
Assets
Mediawan's holdings extend across various territories, incorporating a wide range of production and distribution companies:
| Region/Country | Entities |
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| Africa |
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| Australia |
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| Finland |
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| France |
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| Germany |
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| Italy |
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| Netherlands |
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| Spain |
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| United Kingdom |
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| United States |
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| International |
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| Former/Defunct |
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Mediawan Finland
Mediawan Finland—previously known as Alto Media—operates as the Finnish television and film production arm of the French media conglomerate Mediawan. It specializes in creating entertainment content tailored for Finnish broadcasters as well as global streaming services.
In October 2017, Lagardère Studios acquired Alto Media from Content Media Corporation, marking Lagardère's initial venture into Finland's TV production sector. Subsequently, Alto Media’s content library was integrated into Lagardère Studios’ distribution offerings.
Mediawan Kids & Family
Mediawan Kids & Family—formerly called ON Entertainment and ON Kids & Family—represents Mediawan’s French division dedicated to producing high-quality children’s television series, digital programming, and feature films.
Established on January 16, 2014, by founders Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam, ON Entertainment was formed through the merger of Method Animation, Onyx Films, and Chapter 2, creating a prominent production group in film and television. Within this structure, Method Animation functioned as the animation label, while Onyx Films and Chapter 2 focused on feature animation and live-action projects respectively.
In September 2016, ON Entertainment expanded its footprint in North America by launching ON Animation Studios Montréal to enhance its animated feature film capabilities.
By December 2017, Mediawan entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a controlling interest in ON Entertainment—including its subsidiaries Method Animation and Chapter 2—for approximately €50 million. The transaction finalized in June 2018, marking Mediawan’s entry into the animation market and establishing its own animation studio. From that point forward, Mediawan Rights assumed distribution responsibilities for ON Entertainment’s productions.
In April 2019, ON Kids & Family strengthened its creative portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in Nice Pictures, an animation studio founded by French author Joann Sfar, initiating new collaborative projects across film and television.
By June 2020, Nice Pictures was rebranded as Magical Society under the ON Kids & Family umbrella. Co-founder Aton Soumache joined forces with Joann Sfar to lead the studio, which released its inaugural film adaptation based on Sfar’s Little Vampire comic series.
In June 2022, Mediawan unified its youth-oriented entertainment divisions by renaming ON Kids & Family as Mediawan Kids & Family, officially retiring the ON brand. This reorganization consolidated labels such as Method Animation, Magical Society, ON Animation Studios, and ON Classics within the new division. Additionally, Mediawan introduced two fresh production labels: Somewhere Animation for traditional animation projects and Elliott Studio for live-action productions. The company also established Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution to oversee distribution of both internally produced and external content.
Mediawan Rights
Mediawan Rights—formerly known as AB International Distribution—serves as Mediawan’s global distribution arm, handling both its proprietary scripted and unscripted programming catalog alongside third-party productions. Originally founded in 1977 as part of AB Groupe’s distribution operations, it became part of Mediawan following the 2017 acquisition.
In April 2021, Mediawan Rights launched a specialized unscripted documentary division and secured an exclusive collaboration with production company Forbidden Stories to co-produce and distribute documentary content worldwide.
October 2022 saw further expansion within the unscripted genre when Mediawan Rights began distributing third-party unscripted formats. To support this growth, former Shine France executive Jeremy Klif was appointed deputy director of international sales to work alongside Estelle Bodén, head of unscripted distribution.
Mediawan Skyhigh
Mediawan Skyhigh, previously known as Skyhigh TV until April 2024, serves as the Dutch television production arm of Mediawan. The company was established by Dutch hosts Bert van Leeuwen and Marc Dik, alongside producers Wilfred Drechsler and Bernard van den Bosch. In March 2018, Lagardère Studios acquired the firm, marking the group's entry into both Dutch content creation and broader international television markets.
After Lagardère Studios became part of Mediawan in November 2020, the entity formerly called Skyhigh TV was renamed Mediawan Skyhigh on April 1, 2024, aligning with the subsidiary’s celebration of its 25 years in operation.