C4 takes bite of Whisper

From left: Whisper’s Jake Humphrey, Sunil Patel and David Coulthard

Channel 4 in the UK has taken a minority stake in sports-focused prodco Whisper Films as part of its ongoing acquisitions strategy.

Whisper was founded by director Sunil Patel, Formula One star David Coulthard and presenter Jake Humphrey in 2010.

It has produced shows such as BBC1’s one-off doc Racing with the Hamiltons: Nic in the Driving Seat (1×60’), Horse Power and Road to 2015, which sold around the world to networks including NBC, Sky Atlantic and BBC World.

The investment is part of C4’s Growth Fund investment plan, with Whisper now looking to expand by hiring a head of television and a “small development team” to increase its TV output. It has also moved to larger premises in London.

David Abraham, CEO at C4, said sports production “is an important part of the industry” and described Whisper as “a highly creative and well-connected company that makes incredibly high-end sports programming through its branded content division.

Patel, MD at Whisper, added that the investment would provide “a fantastic springboard to showcase Whisper Films’ collective experience, creativity and enthusiasm to the broadcast world.”

C4’s £20m (US$31m) Growth Fund was established in 2014 and has seen the broadcaster invest in small and medium-sized prodcos, including Arrow Media, Eleven Film and Voltage TV.

In related new, C4 has ordered Wedding Town from UK prodco Firecracker Films, which will follow couples who have chosen to marry or renew their vows in UK town Gretna Green during one summer.

The 15×30′ show will go behind the scenes at the weddings in Gretna, which was once known as a place for runaway couples to get hitched.