Newly-launched U.K. TV producer Rare Television Group has followed up its acquisition this summer of British indie 360Production with a joint venture with London-based BabyGrand Productions.
Under the deal, announced Tuesday, Rare will bankroll development and overhead at BabyGrand, the factual TV shingle set up last year by veteran British TV executives Claire Evans and Sonia Beldom.
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BabyGrand commissions will be exclusively produced within the Rare TV group, which was set up earlier this year by Antony Fraser with financial backing from U.K.-based Forward Private Equity.
“This deal injects crucial talent relationships into Rare’s development strategy and working alongside Sonia and Claire we aim to further maximize the creative and commercial potential of the growing Rare family,” Fraser said.
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In June, Rare acquired a majority stake in Impossible Pictures Group-owned 360Production, the first deal in what Rare said would be a two-year U.K. acquisitions strategy. While BabyGrand is a more traditional television shingle – Evans was key in securing hit reality format The Apprentice for the BBC, while Beldom developed several non-fiction formats for British networks – 360Production is also active in online short-form video, producing YouTube science channel Head Squeeze.
Rare Television was set up to acquire factual production companies and give them the capital to grow and exploit their content across all platforms and territories.
The company said it plans to make a further acquisition before the end of the year.
Twitter: @sroxborough
