FilmRise, Shout Factory to merge, will rebrand as Radial Entertainment

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Oaktree Capital Buys FilmRise, Merges It With Shout! Studios In New Radial Entertainment

LA-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital has acquired FilmRise and will merge it with Shout! Studios in a new venture called Radial Entertainment.

deadline.com

Jared Frandle, Managing Director for Oaktree’s Special Situations strategy, tells Deadline the firm will continue to invest across M&A, content partnerships and expansion of digital streaming channels. The three executives called the merger of FilmRise and Shout! strong on industrial logic with unique and complementary capabilities, assets, and expertise “that interlock to create a complete, end-to-end production, distribution, and streaming business.”



Fisher and his brother founded FilmRise in the kitchen of his Brooklyn home in 2009 out of the ashes of their previous venture, City Lights Media, which went belly up during the financial crisis. It’s since grown into a digital streaming presence, including as an early content provider to Roku starting in 2017. It currently streams over 600 FAST channels and AVOD streaming apps across most third-party platforms.

Founded in 2012 by producers/ financiers Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher and Alan Klingenstein, it offers thousands of licensed and originally produced scripted and unscripted feature films and television episodes across genres. It made a name acquiring popular content that flew under the radar, like Forensic Files and Unsolved Mysteries, but its catalog spans true crime, reality, classics, medical, food, and UK genres. Co-productions include true crime series Bloodline Detectives Hosted by Nancy Grace, currently on season 5.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Radial appoints four new execs as company charts growth after FilmRise, Shout merger

Radial has appointed senior executives from FilmRise and Shout Studios to key leadership roles as it scales operations and pursues global growth across its entertainment and content distribution businesses.

thedesk.net

Radial Entertainment to have new executives. This is the result of Filmrise and Shout merging their syndication operations together.

“These key roles have been strategically structured to drive significant growth and unlock new opportunities as we grow Radial into one of the leading distributors in the industry. I am confident that our outstanding leadership team is poised to guide us toward tremendous growth,” Foos said in a statement on Monday.


David Buoymaster, who previously served as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Finance at FilmRise, will lead Radial’s content investment strategy as Chief Investment Officer. He will chair a newly formed Investment Committee and oversee company-wide business intelligence and data products. During his tenure at FilmRise, Buoymaster helped shape the company’s underwriting methods and distribution strategies, playing a key role in content acquisition and deal execution.


Johnny Holden steps into the role of Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer after serving as both Chief Strategy Officer and CFO at FilmRise. He is charged with leading all revenue-generating operations and setting long-term strategy, including expanding global partnerships and overseeing marketing. At FilmRise, Holden helped guide the company’s data-driven acquisition strategies and built out its footprint across more than 700 FAST channels and dozens of streaming platforms.