ZDFE buys stake in World Media Rights

Germany’s ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) is acquiring a 32.5% stake in production outfit World Media Rights, marking its first investment in a UK prodco.

Alan Griffiths

The investment coincides with a board restructure at World Media Rights that will see factual veteran David McNab join the company as creative director.

He will work alongside existing board member and CEO Alan Griffiths, while ZDFE’s VP for corporate and portfolio strategy Tanja Meier-Sieden.

McNab has worked on shows including In the Shadow of the Moon for Channel 4 as well as BBC2 duo The Hidden Life of the Cell and The Planets.

World Media was founded in 2007 and produces factual TV programming and drama reconstruction for international broadcasters including Reelz, American Heroes Channel and Netflix. Its US cable programming franchises include Black Ops, Air Crash Confidential and Myth Hunters.

Griffiths said the investment “will help us further our ambitions by producing new types of shows in the factual entertainment space”.

Alexander Coridass, president and CEO of ZDFE, added: “Alan is a brilliant and internationally renowned creator and producer. We have had distribution mandates of World Media Rights productions for many years and value their creative strength and economical power.

“It was simply the next logical step in our partnership to become a shareholder. This closer relationship will enable us to jointly produce and market even more outstanding productions for the UK, Germany and the entire world in the future.”

Financial details of the arrangement, which is subject to approval by regulatory authorities, have been kept under wraps.