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It has been announced today that international content and media group, Keshet International (KI), has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Greenbird Media, the production company incubator, investor and business accelerator founded by joint Managing Directors Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin in 2012.

The investment is seen by both KI and Greenbird Media as a collaboration that plays to their individual strengths and shared ambition to help production companies realise their full potential.

Greenbird Media will continue to provide independent producers with access to innovative funding models and expertise in the commercial exploitation of intellectual property and licensing deals to support their creative productions.

Keshet International brings its worldwide development, production and distribution expertise and broad global reach to Greenbird Media. Their combined strengths will allow for the distribution and creation of innovative, diverse original content to audiences across all key territories.

As part of the deal, KI becomes the distribution partner for the independent production companies (IPC) that are supported by Greenbird Media, adding more entertainment, factual entertainment and factual content to its catalogue.

Keshet International’s Managing Director UK and West Europe, Sammy Nourmand, said: “Jamie and Stuart have created a nurturing and supportive environment for the impressive stable of producers they work with. The quality content that the indies produce speaks for itself and the opportunity to work with the team at Greenbird and those IPC’s was too good to turn down. The prospect of KI and Greenbird, running off into the playground like a pair of five-year-olds should be lots of fun.”
“Greenbird Media, with its entrepreneurial and creative culture, is the perfect match for us,” said Alon Shtruzman, CEO of KI. “We share similar philosophies and values, and by combining KI’s global footprint with Greenbird Media’s stellar team, I see limitless possibilities and accelerated growth.”

Greenbird Media Joint Managing Director, Jamie Munro, said: “We would like to thank BBC Worldwide for believing in us at our inception. Now it’s time for us to take our next step. We are excited about working with Keshet International who are a like-minded, successful, international partner with an inherent commercial drive which will help us to continue to deliver the support we provide for the amazing production companies we work with.”

Greenbird Media Joint Managing Director, Stuart Mullin, added: “This is a great opportunity for all of us. Jamie and I are very proud to have helped the production companies grow, and now enter a new phase with an entrepreneurial commercial partner like Keshet International. We have the same values and determination to succeed in an increasingly competitive market place, we can’t wait to get started.”

KI’s strategic partnership sees them take an increased stake in Greenbird Media as well as acquiring BBC Worldwide’s previous shareholding.

The deal has been brokered by Managing Director UK and West Europe Sammy Nourmand, Keshet’s Head of Business Affairs Viktor Vakrat and Keshet CFO Sigal Alboher for KI, and by Company Managing Directors Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin for Greenbird Media. Greenbird Media was advised by ACF Investment Bank throughout the process and the legal team at Wiggins acted on its behalf. Keshet International was represented by KI General Legal Counsel and SVP Business Affairs Avital Onn Shachar and the team at Simons Muirhead Burton