Pierre-Antoine Capton and Peter Chernin Mediawan Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment In a global production mega-deal, Peter Chernin's North Road Company has sold itself to the French studio giant Mediawan. The merger dramatically expands Mediawan's presence in North America, though the combined company will be headquartered in Paris. North Road's studios include Chernin Entertainment, led by David Ready; Chernin Entertainment Television, led by Kaitlin Dahill and Tracey Cook; Kinetic Content, led by Chris Coelen; Worlds + Pictures, led by Connor Schell; North Road Television Studio, led by Amy Israel; Perro Azul in Mexico City and Karga Seven in Istanbul. Those executives will maintain their posts. Related Stories Business Chernin Group Takes Stake in 'The Rest Is' Podcast Firm Goalhanger Business Europe's Mediawan Buys Majority Stake in 'Slow Horses' Producer See-Saw Films Chernin will join the Mediawan board of directors and serve as non-executive chairman of The North Road Company. Scott Manson will become CEO of The North Road Company; Jenno Topping will remain president of Chernin Entertainment. Élisabeth d'Arvieu is the newly combined group's chief content officer, and will lead its global content strategy across scripted television and film, unscripted and reality, documentaries and animation. "I've spent my career trying to focus on where the creative and entertainment businesses are going," said Chernin in a statement. "In the streaming era, the platforms have all become global buyers. It's time for a global content company with leadership in geographies all over the world to maximize the potential of this new landscape. I'm thrilled to partner with Pierre-Antoine, who shares this global vision, and Mediawan to build this company." Mediawan is led by Pierre-Antoine Capton, who cofounded the studio with Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse. The company's first North American investment was made in 2022 in Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment. Plan B will continue to operate with "full global creative independence" under the leadership of Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. "Over the past decade, Mediawan has grown from a French independent studio into one of Europe's leading global content groups," Capton said. "Our success is reflected in the strength of our IP and the ambition of our upcoming slate. With the addition of Peter's exceptional creative teams, we believe we are creating the ideal global home for premium storytelling. Peter is one of the most respected builders in our industry, and it is a true privilege for us to partner with him and Jesse Jacobs, and the North Road team on this next chapter. As our industry consolidates, our goal is to reinforce Mediawan's position as the leading independent platform for premium content and as a trusted partner to streaming platforms and all content distributors worldwide. We will continue this work with humility and agility, delivering the best possible content for our viewers and our partners worldwide." Together, Mediawan and North Road will operate nearly 100 individual production companies representing over $2 billion USD in annual production volume across 15 countries, including the U.S., France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Australia, Mexico and Turkey. "Bringing Mediawan and North Road together creates a uniquely powerful creative platform across all genres, scripted and unscripted, film and series, documentaries and animation," d'Arvieu said. "With talent and premium IP at the center, we have the scale to develop ambitious stories and build global franchises with the world's leading creators, studios and platforms. This will allow accelerating co-productions, generating new synergies within the Group, creating a new bridge between the American and European industries." Though financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, we know who funded it: Mediawan's strategic partner KKR, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence Equity Partners, The Raine Group, Bpifrance, Niel and Pigasse. North Road shareholders, founders and its management team will become "significant minority" Mediawan shareholders. Completion of the transaction, subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected by the end of June 2026. "Combining with Mediawan provides us the scale and resources to compete at the highest level globally," Manson said. "We look forward to continuing to be a top supplier of content to our studio and streamer partners, while also leading the industry forward with new business models alongside Pierre-Antoine and our forward-thinking partners at Mediawan." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up YouTube Charter Adds 44,000 Pay-TV Subscribers in Fourth Quarter united kingdom Magus Films Steps Into U.K. Distr