Zodiak Media (formerly known as MTV Produktion AB, Zodiak Television AB, Zodiak Entertainment and Zodiak Media Group) was a Swedish and later French global independent television production & distribution conglomerate that was owned by Italian publishing company DeAgostini. The company was best known for producing and distributing entertainment, animated series, scripted & non-scripted content across multiple providers worldwide. The company had a significant global presence, with production companies in 15 countries and a distribution service based in both France and United Kingdom. The original iteration was originally a technically facility in Sweden before expanding into television production & distribution and being moved to France in 2008.
De Agostini spun-off Zodiak Media and merged it with fellow French production & distribution company Banijay Group in February 2016, which then became the world's leading independent producer of content for television and multimedia platforms.
Zodiak's international distribution arm, Zodiak Rights (now Banijay Rights) continued as the new international distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment company and its one of the leading distributors on the international market. Its catalogue has over 20,000 hours of programming.
History The Zodiak Media group was formed by the successive acquisition of television production companies under the impetus of the DeAgostini: Magnolia and Marathon Media in 2007 (Italy, Spain and France), Zodiak Television in 2008 (Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia), RDF Media in 2010 (United Kingdom and United States).Sweney, Mark "RDF Media sold to Zodiak Entertainment", The Guardian, Wednesday 2 June 2010. Retrieved on 27 November 2012.
Zodiak Media had its beginnings in 1981 when it founded as MTV Produktion AB under the name Mobile Television originally known as a technical facility that create outside broadcasts and produced sport events in Sweden for production companies, but when commercial (cable television) began established in the country in the late 1980s, they decided to move into entertainment television programming. In August 1995, MTV Produktion AB launched their own Danish division in Denmark named MTV Produktion A/S. Two months later in October of that same year, MTV Production AB had acquired Kanon Television from Swedish television production company Strix, marking MTV Produktion AB's first acquisition of a production outfit as Kanon Television became a subsidiary of MTV Produktion AB.
In 1990 thirteen years before MTV brought Mastiff, Mastiff Media was founded in 1990 under its former name Wegelius Television as an independent production company by its founder Annie Wegelius after when she departures TV3. By January 1995, Bonnier Group announced that their Svensk Filmindustri (which is now known as SF Studios) had acquired independent production company Wegelius Television with its founder Annie Wegelius continued to be the president of the company.
In Italy, Magnolia SPA was founded in 2000 by Giorgio Gori as an independent reality television production company so it could adapt entertainment formats to Italian networks, whilst Kinnevik AB sold its shares in MTV Produktion AB.
In November 2001, Wegelius Television had announced that they've rebranded as Mastiff Media by their CEO Brita Sohlberg in order for them to expand their operations.
In April 2003, a major pan-Scandinavian entertainment production giant was born when MTV Produktion AB announced that they've acquired Mastiff Media AB from its parent company Bonnier Group marking their first acquisition with Bonnier acquiring a 36% stake in MTV Produktion AB along with the two companies retaining their brands.
In September 2003 following the acquisition of Mastiff Media back in April of that same year, MTV Produktion AB had announced that they've merged MTV and Mastiff Media together to form a new production group named MTV Mastiff Production AB within the MTV Produktion AB company with the focus on their core activities along with their production & distribution of their Nordic formats, whilst the MTV and Mastiff brands had been retained as MTV Produktion AB launched their own in-house international distribution division named MTV Mastiff International to distribute their formats to other countries.
In August 2004 a year after MTV Produktion AB brought Swedish production studio Mastiff Media and created the MTV Mastiff, MTV Produktion AB announced they've brought fellow Swedish production company Jarowskij along with its Finland subsidiary Jarowskij Finland, marking MTV Produktion AB's first entry into the Finnish television production operations as MTV Produktion AB's international distribution arm MTV Mastiff International distributing Jarowskij's productions worldwide, and merged the former company with their own production company MTV Mastiff Production AB to becoming the biggest Scandinavian production group with the MTV Mastiff and Jarowskij brands were being retained after the merger. By the following year in 2005 after MTV Produktion AB's acquisition of Swedish production company Jarowskij and the merger of MTV Produktion AB's division MTV Mastiff Produktion AB with the acquired Swedish production studio Jarowskij back in August 2004, MTV Produktion AB rebranded themselves to Zodiak Television AB with their international division MTV Mastiff International also being renamed to Zodiak Television World with their division MTV Mastiff being retained as a production label within the renamed company.
In May 2005 following the rebranding of MTV Production AB into Zodiak Television AB, Zodiak Television AB expanded its operations in Finland by announcing that they've acquired Finnish production company Broadcasters Group, marking Zodiak Television's first acquisition of a production company and the rebranded group's second production company acquisition in general along with the expansion of its Finnish production activities with Broadcasters Group's management continued leading the company under Zodiak. Later on the 26th of that same month following Zodiak's acquisition of Finnish production group Broadcasters, Zodiak Television AB became a wholly independent production & distribution company when its previous parent Bonnier Group sold its 25% in the Swedish production group and one month later in June of that year Zodiak Television AB announced its planning of a SEK 117 million share issue in order to fund its future production company acquisitions.
In January 2006, Zodiak Television AB announced that they brought out a 35% stake in Polish production company Zebra Media, marking Zodiak Television's first entry into the Polish television production business.
In February 2006, Zodiak Television AB expanded its operations into Eastern Europe by acquiring a 34% stake in Russian production company TeleAlliance along with their companies Dixi Media, Teleformat and Rytm, marking the first time the Copenhagen-based entertainment group entered the Russian television market.
In March 2006, Zodiak Television AB announced that they've acquired Danish production company Look Productions, thus expanding Zodiak's Danish operations in that country.
In October 2006, Zodiak Television AB entered the British television production industry for the first time by announcing their acquisition of British factual production outfit Diverse Productions from FBC Group, marking Zodiak Television's first entry to the UK market with Diverse's international distribution division Diverse International being folded into Zodiak's own international distribution division Zodiak Television World.
In January 2007, Italian publisher De Agostini acquired a controlling stake in Italian reality television production company Magnolia founder its Giorgio Gori. In that same month, Zodiak Television AB announced that they've launched a new Russian division based in Moscow named Zodiak Vostok.
In February 2007, Zodiak Television AB brought Swedish-based TV and film production company Yellow Bird to strengthen its drama production operations in both Swedish and Europe, effectively Yellow Bird became a subsidiary of Zodiak Television AB with Jarowskij's drama production output being folded into the acquired company thrust expanding Zodiak's Swedish operations in that country as Yellow Bird's co-founder Ole Søndberg continued operating Yellow Bird as creative chief.
In August 2007, Zodiak Television AB strengthened their Russian operations in the Russian and CIS market by announcing that they had brought a 75% majority stake in Kiev-based Ukraine largest TV movie production company YS Films and placed it under their Russian production subsidiary Dixi Media, marking Zodiak Television's entry into the Ukrainian television industry as YS Films started producing television series for broadcasters in Ukraine. A few days later in that same month, they've brought London-based British television production company Bullseye TV with the latter's distribution arm folded into Zodiak's international division with Zodiak Television AB's distribution division Zodiak Television World planning to move its international distribution business from its home region of Copenhagen to London, England from January 2008.
At the start of October 2007, Zodiak Television announced that they've joined forces with the successful Benelux production company Kanakna by acquiring the latter group along with its shareholders expanding Zodiak's operations in the Benelux region. Eight days later on the 8th of that same year, Zodiak Television announced that they had acquired 35% stake in Indian independent production company Sol, marking Zodiak Television's expansion outside of Europe and the first time Zodiak entered the Indian television industry. On March 30, 2010, Zodiak announced that they increased their stake in Indian-based production company by acquiring 51% stake in the company.
In November 2007, Zodiak Television AB through its distribution division Zodiak Television World moved their international distribution offices from Copenhagen, Denmark to London, England starting from January 2008 with Zodiak Television World hiring former SDI Media and Disney executive John Coleman to become their operation manager along with Sarah Coursey joining Zodiak as their head of formats and acquisitions. Later in that same month, Zodiak Television AB expanded its British television operations by announcing they've brought Damon Pattison's production company Lucky Day Productions and placed it under their UK operations.
Acqusition by De Agostini and major expansions In May 2008, Italian-based holding and publishing company De Agostini who owns French-based production and distribution company Marathon Group and Magnolia, announced that they've made a deal to acquire Stockholm-based Swedish/Scandinavian international television production and distribution company Zodiak Television AB in a deal that would bring De Agostini's television subsidiaries Marathon Group and Magnolia together with Zodiak Television AB into one global entertainment production and distribution company. Five months later in November of that same year, De Agostini announced that they've completed their acquisition of Stockholm-based Swedish/Scandinavian international television production and distribution company Zodiak Television AB with DeAgostini's French television & animation subsidiary Marathon Group and Italian television outfit being placed under the acquired company effectively turned Zodiak Television AB into a European entertainment production powerhouse. The combined European production & distribution entitle had been rebranded & renamed by changing its name to Zodiak Entertainment moving the group into the global television content market with the company's head offices moved from its home country of Sweden to Paris, France as the rebranded group was aiming to acquiring more production companies.