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9 Story buys Brown Bag

Doc McStuffins is among the shows made by Brown Bag

Doc McStuffins is among the shows made by Brown Bag

Canada’s 9 Story Media Group has acquired Irish animation company Brown Bag Films, producer of Disney’s Doc McStuffins, for an undisclosed fee.

Dublin-based Brown Bag, which also has an animation studio in Manchester in the north of England, confirmed it had been bought by the Canadian company this morning.

Producer and distributor 9 Story underwent a rebrand last year shortly after ZM Capital and media entrepreneur Neil Court, who is a former member of Brown Bag’s board, became equity investors in the business.

It acquired fellow Canuck company CCI Entertainment’s kids and family catalogue in 2013, and its CEO, Vince Commisso, said last year that he planned to make further “acquisition-based transactions” following Court’s investment.

The Toronto firm has produced more than 900 half-hours of children’s and family programming, including Arthur, Almost Naked Animals and Peg & Cat.

Brown Bag, meanwhile, was founded in 1994 by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O’Connell and is known for its work on popular children’s series such as Octonauts, Bing Bunny, Henry Hugglemonster, Peter Rabbit and Doc McStuffins.

It currently employs 170 creative and production staff and the takeover will allow it to grow the team in Dublin by 50 more staff in the near future, Brown Bag said. It also has an office in LA.

Brown Bag will retain its brand, with Gaffney and O’Connell, along with the senior management team, continuing to lead the firm, 9 Story said. Brown Bag added that it believed the deal will result in more children worldwide watching its TV programmes and films.

“This transformative transaction extends our footprint into Europe, broadens our content offering to distribution partners and audiences worldwide, combines best-in-class CGI and 2D, and optimally positions the company for tremendous growth,” said Commisso.

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