Star Quality: The Traitors is hosted by Claudia Winkleman (pictured)
Telegraph bidder Redbird IMI has agreed to buy the film and TV production company behind The Traitors for £1.15bn.
The investment giant, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s ruling elite and Gerry Cardinale’s private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, will buy London-based All3Media from its co-owners Warner Bros Discovery and Liberty Global.
The move comes just months after Redbird IMI, run by US media executive Jeff Zucker, agreed to take over The Telegraph and The Spectator.
All3Media is one of the UK’s leading production companies, producing shows including Call The Midwife, Gogglebox, Midsomer Murders and BBC One hit The Traitors, presented by Claudia Winkleman.
The production company went up for sale last year, attracting interest from companies including French television production group Banijay, Sony and Goldman Sachs.
ITV, which like All3Media has Liberty Global as a shareholder, had also been in talks to take over the production company. But discussions were called off after they failed to agree on financial terms.
In an announcement yesterday, it was confirmed that Redbird IMI had emerged victorious in this bidding war.
Under the deal, Zucker, former CNN chief and RedBird IMI CEO, will become chairman of All3Media’s board of directors.
All3Media CEO Jane Turton and COO Sara Geater will continue to lead the company. Zucker said: ‘All3Media is one of the world’s great content companies and this gives us an incredible platform to continue growing our expanding portfolio. The demand for new shows and existing ongoing series, both scripted and unscripted, makes All3 a perfect fit for us.”
But Redbird IMI still faces government scrutiny over its bid for The Telegraph late last year. He is being investigated amid concerns that the newspaper is under the control of Abu Dhabi, which has a dubious record on press freedom.
The company, RedBird IMI, is backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and owner of Abu Dhabi United Group, owner of Manchester City Football Club.