C4 takes Barcroft stake

Pictured left to right are Barcroft creative director Alex Morris,
CEO Sam Barcroft and MD Caspar Norman

UK pubcaster Channel 4 (C4) has taken a minority stake in factual producer and online specialist Barcroft Media.

It marks the first time C4 has used its £20m (US$29m) Growth Fund to invest in a UK multimedia company specialising in content creation and digital distribution.

Barcroft was founded by CEO Sam Barcroft in 2003 and has offices in London, Delhi and New York. It licenses and distributes TV docs and shortform video clips, as well as text and photography, to producers, publishers, broadcasters and digital platforms in more than 50 countries.

Its Barcroft Productions arm creates original linear and digital TV programming including The Outsiders for MTV, Body Bizarre for TLC, Inside The KKK for C4 and Bear Grylls: Man vs. Everest for Discovery.

It also operates YouTube factual channel Barcroft TV, which has more than two million subscribers and has attracted over 1.8 billion views.

C4 launched its Growth Fund in 2014 and appointed former Nutopia MD Laura Franses to run it.

The fund has now invested in 10 prodcos, including Arrow Media, Lightbox, True North, Popkorn and Voltage TV.

C4 CEO David Abraham said: “As Channel 4’s growth in online and commercial innovation continues apace, it’s an exciting time for our Indie Growth Fund to make its first investment in a future-facing business with both content creation and multiplatform distribution capabilities.

“Barcroft’s ability to connect with younger audiences globally, and their work with different formats, platforms and brands, aligns with our own commercial growth and we look forward to sharing our expertise to help Barcroft grow and to develop 4’s wider digital strategy.”

Barcoft said the company is preparing to build out its content and distribution business. Jonathan Allan, C4’s sales director, will represent the pubcaster on the Barcroft board.