ITV backs WIGS digital prodco

Award-winning producing trio Jon Avnet, Rodrigo Garcia and Jake Avnet have launched a new multi-platform production firm with backing from UK commercial network ITV and global marketing and media giant WPP.

LA-based Indigenous Media will produce original content for digital and emerging platforms, as well as develop new multi-platform content brands.

The fledgling firm will focus on scripted half-hour and hour-long series, as well as other formats.

Jon Avnet is best-known for his work on feature film Black Swan, while Garcia worked on HBO’s In Treatment and Jake Avnet was behind crime thriller Righteous Kill.

All three previously worked at WIGS, the female-skewing online channel and digital studio that has Fox Broadcasting Company as its marketing and distribution partner.

ITV and WPP will contribute advertising and distribution expertise while Steven Tisch, Advancit Capital, Michael Price and Aaron Stern are additional investors. Jon Miller, former CEO of digital media for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, will serve as non-executive chairman.

Garcia said the prodco would “create new opportunities for top-notch writers and directors to tell their stories.”

Paul Buccieri, chairman of ITV Studios US Group and ITV Studios Global Entertainment, added: “Indigenous is a forward looking, multi-platform provider of premium content, and as such, is a perfect strategic fit for ITV.”

It’s the latest investment into the US market by the UK commercial broadcaster, which paid an undisclosed sum for a 51% stake in New York-based prodco Diga Vision in February.

That followed a US$40m purchase of a 61.5% stake in Duck Dynasty prodco Gurney Productions in 2012, a US$25.65m deal for a controlling stake in reality TV producer High Noon Entertainment (Cake Boss) and a payment of US$30m for a controlling stake in Thinkfactory Media (Hatfields & McCoys).

US cable giant Liberty Global acquired UK satcaster BSkyB’s 6.4% stake in ITV for £481m (US$824m) in July.