Satisfaction buys Sony Pictures TV France & Starling
July 10, 2020
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
French entertainment company Satisfaction Group, founded by producer and TV anchorman Arthur Essebag, has acquired Sony Pictures Television France’s unscripted activity as well as STP company Starling.
Satisfaction Group now becomes the exclusive producer of SPT’s formats in France and, in parallel, Sony Pictures Television takes a 20 per cent of its stake in Satisfy. SPT France will be renamed Satisfy.
The agreement includes an international distribution partnership that gives Satisfaction Group’s formats the capacity to boost its worldwide expansion and find new outlets in UK and North America thanks to SPT’s wide network that includes 25 companies across 12 countries.
The deal also gives Satisfaction Group exclusivity in France on more than 120 formats from the SPT library, which in France include Who Wants to be a Millionaire ? (TF1), The NewlyWed Game (France 2), and Brainiest (TF1).
Once the transaction is completed, Satisfaction Group becomes the biggest independent producer of entertainment shows and formats in France. Presided by Judith Aboulkheir, the group which also integrates Ah Productions and Satisfaction Television Agency, produces more than 1,000 hours of content each year for the main French channels. Its 200 original formats are exported into more than 31 countries.
The French production sector is consolidating strongly after Banijay Group recently took over EndemolShine Group, and Mediawan has entered into negotiations to integrate Lagardère Studios.