Sister Group buys majority stake in UK digital studio After Party  

L-R: Callum McGinley, Joshua Barnett and Ben Doyle

Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone’s Sister Group has acquired a majority stake in British digital production outfit After Party Studios.

London-based After Party, which was established a decade ago by YouTuber Callum McGinley (aka Callux), director Ben Doyle, CEO Joshua Barnett and Base79 founder Richard Mansell, is behind projects such as sports-focused docuseries Scenes (Sky Sports) and Channel 4.0 series Don’t Get Catfished and Hear Me Out. It is also producing documentary Race to the Top, which follows YouTuber KSI as he completes the takeover of English non-league football team Dagenham & Redbridge.

In addition to original content, After Party also produces branded and social media content including digital content for Netflix’s House of Guinness, Stranger Things and Being Gordon Ramsay, as well as the digital pre-show Five to Live that supports Sky’s SNL adaptation. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

With the deal, After Party is joining a portfolio of Sister-owned production companies spanning the UK and US.

Lucinda Hicks

Ludovic Robert

Its flagship Sister Pictures production house is behind high-end drama series like Black Doves, Chernobyl, Gangs of London and Waiting for the Out, while Sister’s other UK-based entities include Dorothy St Pictures (The Greatest Night in Pop, Pamela: A Love Story, Victoria Beckham), animation studio Locksmith Animation (Bad Fairies. The Lunar Chronicles), Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair’s film company South of the River (Wicked Little Letters, The Rose) and Richard Bacon’s unscripted format company Yes Yes Media (Silence Is Golden).

In the US, it has invested in the likes of podcast studio Campside Media, Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media and entertainment studio AWA Studios. It also previously operated an LA office, which was run by Cindy Holland, though shuttered that outpost in late 2024.

Sister Group’s chief operating officer Chris Fry negotiated the deal with After Party CEO Barness and chief financial officer Kevin Deeley.

“The After Party Studios team occupy a unique space – a digital-native creative company driven by creator instincts and built on deep relationships with talent, brands and platforms and first-class execution,” said Sister Group CEO Lucinda Hicks.

“Our partnership enables them to continue to do what they do so brilliantly, originating groundbreaking IP, deepening direct relationships with audiences and shaping the next era of digital storytelling.”

Doyle and McGinley said the acquisition was a “natural next step” for After Party Studios, calling it an “ideal partner as we take the company into its next chapter.”

Murdoch and Feathersone branded the After Party team “relevant, engaging storytellers committed to excellence and to connecting with audiences wherever they are. We welcome them wholeheartedly into the Group where there are many like minds and many opportunities for new, impactful collaborations.”