LeBron James’ SpringHill reportedly in merger talks with prodco Fulwell 73
SpringHill basketball docuseries Starting 5
The SpringHill Company, the media company led by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, is in merger talks with transatlantic production outfit Fulwell 73, according to US business publication Bloomberg.
The report said the companies have been in talks about merging for several months, although negotiations could still amount to nothing.
LA-based The SpringHill Company, founded in 2020, produces shows including The Crossover (Disney+), Rez Ball (Netflix), 2021 sequel feature Space Jam: A New Legacy and basketball documentary series Starting 5 (Netflix).
London-based Fulwell 73, which also has offices in Los Angeles and the UK city of Sunderland, was founded by Ben Winston, Leo Pearlman, Ben Turner, Gabe Turner and James Corden.
The company has produced shows including Carpool Karaoke: The Series (Apple TV+), The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) and The Kardashians (Hulu), as well as CBS special Adele: One Night Only and The Grammys. Fulwell 73 is also producing a documentary on boyband Take That for Netflix in the UK.
The merger talks are taking place three years after The SpringHill Company sold a minority stake to a group of investors led by private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, in a deal valuing the company at around US$725m.
However, in many cases, valuations for content-focused media companies have fallen since then, with fewer shows being ordered overall and the sports-adjacent content space arguably reaching a point of saturation.
The Bloomberg report, which cited two unnamed sources, said a merger of the businesses would put the combined entity in a position to pursue other acquisitions.
A deal, if it came to fruition, would create an indie media powerhouse with significant reach in unscripted and sports-adjacent programming, in addition to having high-profile talent relations and sizeable production businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
