Sister takes minority stake in Common Interest to fuse content and brands
What's the deal? Sister GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the media company founded by Liz Murdoch and Jane Featherstone, has taken a minority stake in brands and advertising specialist Common InterestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The two firms have agreed a strategic partnership and are already collaborating, though the deal value was undisclosed.
What each side brings: Common Interest, founded by Anthony Freedman, houses agencies including Amplify, 21st Century BrandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Baby TeethDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Sister GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → owns Black Doves producer Sister PicturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, unscripted outfit Yes Yes MediaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Locksmith AnimationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and factual specialist Dorothy Street.
What's the endgame? The pair plan to build a slate of intellectual property spanning multiple platforms and backed by brands. The aim is to blend SisterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s storytelling with Common Interest's brand strategy and commercial relationships.
Why now? It is the third deal in recent months for Sister Group, which Murdoch and Featherstone set up in 2019 under chief executive officer Lucinda Hicks. It has already acquired After Party Studios and struck a programming deal with Amol Rajan.
Freedman said the partnership aims to "prove that brands can be part of shaping entertainment without compromising on what audiences love."
In a joint statement, Murdoch and Featherstone said Common Interest is a natural fit, adding: "We're not just aligned on paper, but underway on some great ideas where the potency of that combination is very apparent."
The signal: The tie-up reflects a wider push to collapse the wall between entertainment and advertising as content makers seek brand funding and marketers seek a role in production.
Read more: deadline.com
Image credit: vancouverfilmschool
