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Fremantle Limited[3] (/ˈfriːmæntəl/), formerly FremantleMedia, is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. The company was founded as Pearson Television in 1993 when publishing and education company Pearson acquired the former British ITV franchisee Thames Television. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, which was acquired by predecessor company All American Television in 1994. Pearson Television and Bertelsmann's CLT-UFA merged in 2000 to form the RTL Group, with Pearson Television itself being renamed FremantleMedia on 20 August of the following year.
 Logo used since 2018 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Television |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jennifer Mullin (CEO) |
| Parent | Pearson plc (1993–2000) RTL Group (2000–present) |
| Subsidiaries | See § Production offices and labels |
| Website | fremantle |
| |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Founder | Paul Talbot |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | All American Television (1994–1998) Pearson plc (1998–2000) RTL Group (2000–present) |
| Website | fremantle |
| Footnotes / references [1][2] | |
Fremantle owns non-scripted formats, including the British talent shows Idols, Got Talent and The X Factor; all of which have been sold globally. Since 1994, Fremantle has distributed American game shows locally in the US and globally.
Pearson Television (1993–2001)
On 23 April 1993, Pearson plc bought Thames Television, which had been one of the "Big Five" franchisees in the ITV network from 1968 to 1992, and, as an independent production company, was continuing to produce many shows for ITV and other broadcasters. Thames became the first division of Pearson Television, and Pearson gained the rights to Thames programmes like The Benny Hill Show and The Bill.[4][5]
Then in 1995 it acquired Australian production company Grundy Television.[6][7][8] Allied Communications Inc. (ACI), a U.S.-based distributor of made-for-television films, was purchased later that year for $40 million.[9][10]
In January 1996, Pearson Television acquired the British production company SelecTV plc, and merged into it.[11]
Pearson Television announced on 1 October 1997 that it would launch a $373 million cash tender offer for publicly traded U.S. television company All American Communications Inc.[12] On 5 November, Pearson completed its tender offer, and All American was merged into Pearson Television the following year. This acquisition gave Pearson worldwide rights to various game show formats as well as drama series in the U.S. such as Baywatch, while All American Music Group was sold to Zomba Records subsidiary Volcano Entertainment.
Pearson Television acquired Italian drama production company Mastrofilm on 3 November 1998,[13] and European animation financer and distributor EVA Entertainment on 2 February 1999.[14]
In June 2000, Pearson Television had announced that they decided to take over Smith & Jones' UK production company Talkback Productions.[15]
Fremantle International
The first incarnation of Fremantle was founded in 1952 by Paul Talbot as Fremantle Overseas Radio and Television and later renamed as Fremantle International in 1958, named after the city in Western Australia. It was involved in the production of television series, movies, and specials from 1964 to 1994 and owned game show formats from Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, Stewart Television, Barry & Enright Productions, Kline and Friends, Hatos-Hall Productions, and Chuck Barris Productions internationally.
In 1976, Australian executive Richard Becker, of Becker Entertainment was made head of the Australian operation of Fremantle International Productions, and a year later integrated its operations with R.A. Becker's production arm (later Becker Entertainment) to license out its title library.[16]
By the 1980s, Fremantle had become the largest producer of game shows in Europe.[17][18] In 1989, The Interpublic Group of Companies bought a 49% minority interest in Fremantle International. On 20 May 1991, Interpublic Group increased its ownership stake in Fremantle International to 80%, with Paul Talbot retaining a 20% holding in the company.
Interpublic Group agreed to sell assets of Fremantle International to All American Communications Inc. for $63 million in cash and stock on 7 July 1994.[19] All American acquired Fremantle International in August. Paul Talbot continued to own The Fremantle Corporation, the international distributor of All American's Baywatch and other programs until his death in 2005, and the company's assets were later acquired by Canadian-based Kaleidoscope Entertainment in June 2006.[20] All American Fremantle International managed and distributed Mark Goodson Productions' game show formats worldwide. In 1998, All American Television and All American Fremantle International were renamed Pearson Television North America and Pearson Television Licensing, and operated under those names until being renamed in 2001.
FremantleMedia (2001–2018)
In 2000, German conglomerate Bertelsmann announced that it would form a joint venture between its CLT-UFA group (itself a merger of Luxembourg's CLT and German studio UFA GmbH) with Pearson Television (whose library included former British ITV franchise Thames Television, All American Television—who owned the libraries of U.S. syndicators Lexington Broadcast Services and Blair Entertainment and game show producers Mark Goodson Productions and Fremantle International, and Australia's Reg Grundy Organisation) to create a multinational media group and content business—eventually known as RTL Group—to consolidate their broadcasting and production activities,[21][22] and provide a European competitor to American-owned media conglomerates.[23] The content business would be renamed FremantleMedia in 2001,[22] while Bertelsmann would later increase its stake in RTL Group to achieve majority ownership.[24][25]
In February 2003, FremantleMedia announced that they are merging two of their successful production outfits, Talkback Productions and Thames Television, by combining their operational departments to form the largest independent television production company named TalkBack Thames.[26]
In 2005, FremantleMedia announced their acquisition of a 75% majority stake in Danish production company Blu. They would eventually acquire the remaining shares in the company five years later giving them full control.[27]
In April 2010, FremantleMedia acquired Dutch drama television production company FourOne Media.[28]
In the mid-2010s, FremantleMedia began to increase its investments into "high-end" scripted dramas to diversify its output. The strategy proved successful for the company, with international dramas having increasingly accounted for more of its overall revenue.[29][30][31]
In August 2015, FremantleMedia acquired 62% majority stake in Italian production company Wildside.[32]
In September 2015, FremantleMedia acquired French scripted content production company Fontaram Productions.[33] Later in that same month, they acquired a 25% stake in Naked Entertainment.[34] However in 2020, they announced that they took full control of Naked Entertainment acquiring the remaining 75% stake in it.[35] A day later they acquired a 75% majority stake in Dutch reality television production company No Pictures Please.[36]
In October 2015, FremantleMedia acquired a majority stake of Paris-based French scripted production company Kwai and placing the company under their French operations with the CEO of the French division of FremantleMedia Monica Galer becoming CEO of the acquired company.[37]
In January 2016, FremantleMedia acquired a 51% majority stake in Tel Aviv-based Israeli scripted reality, drama and entertainment formats television production company Abot Hameiri to expand their international outprint with FremantleMedia's international distribution division will distribute Abot Hameiri's programmes worldwide.[38][39]
In September 2017, FremantleMedia acquired a majority stake in the scripted drama division of Australian producer Essential Media & Entertainment after the latter announced that they exiting the drama services and relaunched it as a separate company Easy Tiger with the new company taking over Essential's drama development state with former head of scripted at Essential Media & Entertainment Ian Colle leading the new company.[40][41]
In January 2018, FremantleMedia announced that they're exiting the children's market by selling their Kids & Family Entertainment division to Canadian production company Boat Rocker Media under their global distribution unit Boat Rocker Rights in order for the former to focus on their scripted and unscripted entertainment genres.[42][43]
In July 2018, FremantleMedia North America CEO Jennifer Mullin was named the new CEO of the worldwide company, replacing the outgoing Cecile Frot-Coutaz.[44]
Fremantle (2018–present)
On 10 September 2018, the company changed its public-facing brand to "Fremantle", introducing a new handwritten logo (Fremantle Media remains the company's legal name). Mullin described the logo as a "creative signature" that "[puts] our own unique mark on everything that we do."[45]
In June 2019, Fremantle announced that they've striked an overall deal with Richard Brown's new production company Passenger being based in New York and London. Brown's production company Passenger will be developing and producing their scripted drama television shows alongside Fremantle, with Fremantle will be distributing their projects worldwide.[46][47]
In December 2019, Fremantle announced that they're restructuring their Italian operations in Italy and had established a new scripted development and production company named The Apartment Pictures with co-founder of Wildside Lorenzo Mieli will be heading the new production label.[48][49]
In July 2020, Fremantle spun off Storyglass into an independent company within Bertelsmann.[50] In September, Fremantle merged Boundless and Naked Entertainment to form Naked Television.[51]
In July 2021, Fremantle announced that they had made an agreement with Swedish-based Scandinavian media and entertainment company Nordic Entertainment Group to acquire 12 scripted and unscripted Nordic production labels such as Strix Television and Moskito Television from Nordic Entertainment Group's television studios division NENT Studios for an undisclosed sum in order for Fremantle to expand their Nordic operations and will use them to launch Fremantle Nordics.[52][53] Two months later in September of that same year, Fremantle had announced that they've completed their acquisition of 12 scripted and unscripted Nordic production labels from Swedish-based Scandinavian media and entertainment group Nordic Entertainment Group and their division NENT Studios with Fremantle had expanded their Nordic operations and launched Fremantle Nordics division along with the Fremantle Nordics Board being established to handle their acquired labels with Morten Mogensen continued to be the CEO of the 12 labels.[54][55]
In March 2022, Fremantle announced their acquisition of Italian production house Lux Vide.[56]
In May 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in the Irish film and television production company Element Pictures. As part of the deal, Element's film distribution arm was spun off to form Volta Pictures.[57]
In November 2022, Fremantle announced their acquisition of a majority stake in British documentary production company 72 Films.[58] Later in that same month, it was announced that Fremantle had acquired a majority stake in the Tel Aviv-based Israeli independent production company, Silvio Productions.[59]
In March 2023, Fremantle announced that their documentaries division had launched a premium feature series and documentaries label named Undeniable[60][61]
In May 2023, Fremantle announced that they're merging two of their Norwegian production companies with their Norwegian division Fremantle Norway being merged with Monster and will consolidate them into one company under the Monster label and will be leaded by the CEO of Monster Ingvild Daae with the CEO of Fremantle Norway Petter Testmann-Koch stepping down.[62]
In February 2024, Fremantle announced their acquisition of Singaporean independent TV producer Beach House Pictures from Canadian entertainment company Blue Ant Media.[63] Later in that same month, Fremantle announced that they had made a deal to acquire French-based global production studio Asacha Media Group with co-founder and CEO of Asacha, Gaspard de Chavagnac continuing to run the latter company.[64]
Fremantle owns of a number of non-scripted formats, including the talent shows Idol, Got Talent, and The X Factor (the latter two with Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment), and game shows via its ownership of the libraries of U.S. producer Goodson–Todman Productions, Australian producer Reg Grundy, and others, which includes formats Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Sale of the Century among others.
Via the Reg Grundy library, Fremantle Australia owns a number of notable Australian dramas and soap operas, including the long-running Neighbours and Prisoner.[29]
Since the mid-2010s, Fremantle has increased its focus on scripted series internationally, having produced or distributed programmes such as American Gods, Beecham House, Charité, Deutschland 83, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Rain, The Young Pope and The Mosquito Coast.[29][30][31]
Fremantle has production units across its global offices and network of companies.
In the United States, Fremantle's largest production and distribution division, Fremantle North America is based in Burbank, California, and includes a portfolio of companies. Fremantle North America produces and distributes scripted and alternative programs for broadcast and cable networks, syndication and streaming platforms.
In addition, Fremantle North America owns several other smaller production companies; among these are Thom Beers' Original Productions (responsible for creation and production of numerous reality shows such as Deadliest Catch, Ax Men, and Ice Road Truckers) and Amygdala Music, Leslie Beers' production and composition firm that writes themes, incidental, and featured music for Original Productions shows.
Production and distribution labels from Fremantle include:
| Region/country | Unit(s) |
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| United Kingdom |
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| Ireland | |
| United States |
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| Australia |
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| Germany |
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| France |
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| Netherlands | |
| Belgium |
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| Italy |
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| Spain |
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| Denmark | |
| Finland |
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| Norway |
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| Sweden |
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| Israel | |
| Singapore |
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| Former/Defunct |
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