Lagardère reaches Skyhigh in growth drive

France’s Lagardère Studios has completed the acquisition of a Dutch production company following its investments in Spain and Finland.

Christophe Thoral

Lagardère has acquired a majority stake in Skyhigh TV, which produces Dutch series including The Bully Project, Model in 1 Day and Teen Mom Celebrity Support.

It adds Skyhigh to Lagardère’s growing portfolio of European prodcos following the acquisitions of Boomerang TV in Spain and Aito Media in Finland.

Skyhigh was launched in 1999 and specialises in entertainment, factual and documentary programming.

It is owned by its three founding shareholders, Marc Dik, Wilfred Drechsler and Bernard van den Bosch.

Christophe Thoral, president of Lagardère Studios, said: “The Netherlands is the third largest exporter of TV formats in the world.

“Our acquisition of Skyhigh TV naturally serves to further our strategy for international growth, but it will also accelerate our policy of creating and circulating formats among our various structures.”

Bernard van den Bosch, CEO of Skyhigh TV, added: “It is an exciting prospect to share in the creativity of the wider Lagardère group and to keep developing our own inspiring formats in addition.”