Industry

Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in David Glover and Mark Raphael’s 72 Films, the independent TV production company behind sports documentary series All or Nothing: Arsenal, and the Emmy®-award winning historical documentary 9/11: One Day in America.
The acquisition of 72 Films further underlines Fremantle’s strategic plan to invest in and help develop premium production companies with the world’s most exceptional creative talent.

72 Films and Fremantle share a passion for iconic, imaginative storytelling and under the deal, Fremantle will provide its global infrastructure, distribution, and specialist support across the 27 territories in which it operates around the world. The deal further reaffirms Fremantle’s commitment and ambition to grow its global documentaries proposition working with the very best filmmaking talent.

The deal was spearheaded by Fremantle’s UK CEO, Simon Andreae.

72 Films recent television productions include BBC documentary series, The Elon Musk Show, which provides an intimate story uncovering how Musk became the world’s richest man (distributed globally by Fremantle), and the two-part Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story. This follows on from 72 Films’ Emmy®-award winning historical documentary series, 9/11: One Day in America, nominated in six categories, and achieving huge acclaim as well as record audience numbers.

For two years in a row 72 Films has been voted the Best Independent Television Production Company in the UK via the Televisual industry poll.

The investment in 72 Films follows the acquisitions over the past 12 months which include UK production company Dancing Ledge (The Responder), scripted Italian production company Lux Vide (Devils, Leonardo), international development and production company Fabel (Bosch), Australian-American television production company Eureka Productions (Parental Guidance, Finding Magic Mike) and UK unscripted production company Label1 (Hospital, Five Guys a Week, Soldier), 12 production labels in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark from Nordic Entertainment Group (This is Nice Group), and most recently Irish production company Element Pictures (Normal People, The Favourite).

In August 2021, RTL Group announced its aim to increase Fremantle’s full-year revenue target to €3 billion by 2025. The acquisition of 72 Films forms part of Fremantle’s wider growth strategy to invest in production companies, content, and talent around the world to source the best creative ideas, develop and create strong and unmissable IP.

72 Films was advised by ACF Investment Bank with commercial support from Matisse.