Tinopolis buys out Passion

UK indie Tinopolis will acquire Passion Distribution, adding to a slate of businesses that also includes A Smith & Co and Base Productions.

Sally Miles

Passion, set up by former ID Distribution chief Sally Miles back in 2008, distributes content for numerous UK and North American producers including Scripps Networks, The Oprah Winfrey Network, World of Wonder and Sundance Channel.

Tinopolis, which delisted from the stock exchange the same year following an MBO supported by private equity firm Vitruvian Partners, has a turnover today of £130m (US$208.6m) versus £50m in 2006, according to the company.

The firm already counts Mentorn, Daybreak Pictures, Pioneer and Sunset+Vine among its businesses and last year bought out US prodcos A Smith & Co for a reported US$100m, followed soon after by Base Productions for some US$75m.

Its shows include Question Time, Traffic Cops, Hell’s Kitchen and the London Paralympic Games coverage.

Financial terms of the Passion buy-out were not revealed but Tinopolis said the deal would significantly expand its ability to exploit its portfolio of companies, programmes and formats.

Tinopolis and Passion will continue to grow Passion’s existing business and brand through investment in third party content and coproductions with the support of the wider group, the firm said in a statement.

Passion, which Miles will still run, will inherit Tinopolis’s existing distribution arm Mentorn International and its staff together with a catalogue of over 2,500 hours of content, including numerous formats.

“Tinopolis’s strategy is to develop and grow as a group that is successful creatively and financially with a strong international reach,” said Tinopolis executive chairman Ron Jones.

“With over 40% of our business now outside the UK, we needed a distribution business that could match this and in Sally and her team we have found our ideal partners.”

Miles added: “We are very excited to be joining a dynamic and fast growing Group that will provide us with, additional investment, financing for our third party relationships and the opportunity to work with a very talented and respected team of people.

“The existing catalogue sold under Mentorn International, will introduce Passion to new genres including drama and comedy. We also plan to invest further and expand our global digital business, increasing revenue opportunities on behalf of our content suppliers.”