ITV believes in Zealot

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has invested an undisclosed amount in Zealot Networks, the US digital content business founded by ex-Maker Studios CEO Danny Zappin.

Danny Zappin

ITV today confirmed it has completed its third US digital investment deal of the year by taking a leading position in a strategic funding round undertaken by Zealot.

Zealot is a digital-first media company and growth accelerator that delivers multi-platform revenue, distribution and development opportunities to creative entrepreneurs. Zappin runs the firm with former Yahoo exec Conn Fishburn as chief strategy officer, Chad Seymour as chief marketing officer and Bob Vanech as chief finance officer.

The LA-based company launched in August and has already acquired Audio Micro, parent company of AdRev, and has a number of other deals in the pipeline. ITV, Zealot’s first media industry investor, will now have a position on Zealot’s board of directors.

The deal rounds off ITV’s portfolio of digital investments in the US, which also includes minority stakes in Indigenous Media, the Culver City-based producer of scripted digital series, and New York-based Believe Entertainment, which works with advertisers to create multi-platform and digital-branded entertainment.

Kevin Lygo, MD of ITV Studios, said: “A key part of ITV’s strategy is to exploit the increasing global demand for quality content across a range of platforms, which closely aligns with Zealot’s own ambitions to not only distribute content across its own sites, but also to third-party platforms such as YouTube, Vine and Instagram.”

Zappin, president and CEO of Zealot, added: “A global media company like ITV investing in Zealot demonstrates a shared vision of our mission to transform digital media.”

Zappin stepped down from Maker last year, after launching the company in 2009. Co-founders and siblings Lisa and Ben Donovan also departed in August.