Palatin buys into Frank brothers’ Rocket

David (left) and Matthew Frank

German company Palatin Media has invested in Rocket Rights, the UK distribution start-up launched by David and Matthew Frank, as well as VoD-targeted sister company Rights Booster.

A Rocket representative told C21 that Palatin had acquired “a meaningful minority stake” in Rocket and Rights Booster, but declined to give further details.

Palatin is a Munich-based company established by CEO Bernd Schlötterer in 2011. C21 broke the news about the Frank brothers launching Rocket here last month.

Under the deal announced today, Rocket and Rights Booster will manage Palatin’s programme rights across major platforms, while Palatin will represent the Rocket catalogue in German-speaking territories.

Rocket Rights was launched by the Frank brothers last year and has a catalogue of more than 2,500 hours. The sales team includes All3Media and Beyond International alum Zoe Wilson as head of sales, with former Flame and Passion Distribution exec Kate Stephenson also on board. Former Beyond exec Anne-Marie Pardoe is covering sales in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Iberia.

Booster, meanwhile, was founded by its CEO and former Kew Media Group exec Mark Benmore last year and attracted equity investment from the Franks in September. Formerly known as Benmore Media, Booster has over 1,000 hours on its slate.

Rockets describes itself as “a next-generation disruptive TV rights businesses,” drawing on processes and technology derived from the Franks’ experience at rights marketplace TRX.

“Matthew and I have known and liked Bernd for many years and have always admired his entrepreneurial success. He brings deep experience of the markets and a wide range of new contacts. The addition of the Palatin catalogue to our global sales effort is also a major coup for both Rocket and Booster,” said the Frank brothers in a statement.

Schloetterer added: “This deal delivers greater distribution fire-power to Palatin and opens up untapped markets. Moreover there are great synergies between Booster and the existing AVoD and SVoD channels and platforms of our group. Together we all have the same vision of the market and the way it is evolving.”

Benmore said: “I was working with Bernd even before setting up Booster and he’s encouraged me at every turn – so it’s great that we’re now formally in business together and collaborating on such a fundamental level. We are building great momentum at Booster and this will only help.”