Night Train Media sells Eccho Rights, BossaNova, Curve stakes to Germany’s Serafin

German company Night Train Media has sold its stakes in Eccho Rights, BossaNova Media and Curve Media to Munich- and London-based private equity firm The Serafin Group.

Herbert L Kloiber

The news was first reported by Deadline and confirmed by C21’s sister publication Cveintiuno.

Serafin is an existing investor in Night Train and will retain a 50% stake in the company, which was founded and is led by Herbert L Kloiber, who is stepping down as CEO at Eccho Rights

The holding company has already assumed operational control of Stockholm-based distributor Eccho Rights, London-based unscripted distributor BossaNova and British factual producer Curve.

Serafin has appointed Christoph Auer as interim CEO of Eccho Rights, which also has offices in Istanbul, Madrid and London and is known for its catalogue of Turkish dramas such as Golden Boy.

According to sources close to the deal, it will maintain an active relationship with Night Train on various projects.

For Eccho Rights, Serafin will be its third change of leadership in the last eight years. Co-founders Nicola Söderlund and Fredrik af Malmborg first sold the company in 2018 to Korean firm CJ ENM, which in turn sold it to Night Train in 2022.

Night Train’s divestment represents a shift from its plan to create a large European production and distribution group, which involved acquiring 100% of Eccho Rights and majority stakes in Curve in 2022 and BossaNova in 2023.

According to Deadline, Night Train now plans to double down on coproducing and financing premium fiction for television and film.

Founded in 2010, Serafin invests its own capital in European companies with growth potential, focusing on industrial sectors such as construction, engineering and consumer goods, to which it now adds media and entertainment.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.