Court puts up Tin Roof investment

Tin Roof has invested in Blink, which is behind such shows as Mummifying Alan

Neil Court, the co-founder of DHX Media and co-owner of Peacock Alley Entertainment, has launched a production investment firm with the founder of Two Four Group and a former Entertainment One exec.

Tin Roof Media has been founded by Court, who is chairman of the company and is working with Two Four founder Charles Wace, who becomes non-exec director. Charles Ogilvie, former chief financial officer at Entertainment One UK, holds the same role at London-based Tin Roof.

Neil Court

The company is backed by UK private equity firm Rockpool Investments and has already completed its first deal, making a “strategic investment” in British factual production company Blink Films.

The undisclosed financial injection will enable Blink to expand its current roster of factual programming, while broadening into factual entertainment, formats and returning series as well as increasing its features output.

Blink will also be looking to hire executive producers specialising in these genres.

Court said Blink was an “ambitious company” and added that Tin Roof would be looking for further opportunities in the UK factual sector.

The senior team at Blink Films, which includes co-founders Dan Chambers and Justine Kershaw, will remain in place and will be boosted by Court as chairman and Ogilvie as chief financial officer.

Chambers said the investment “is a fantastic opportunity for Blink to fulfil its true potential,” expanding on its output that already includes The Brain for BBC4 in the UK and PBS in the US.

The firm is also behind Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret for Channel 4, Discovery US and Canada and ABC Australia as well as Secrets for Smithsonian Network and Channel 5.