Sister Group (Black Doves, Chernobyl, Gangs of London, The Greatest Night in Pop,That Christmas), the independent global studio founded by Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone, has acquired a majority stake in digital-first creative production company After Party Studios, the company unveiled on Tuesday.
Financial details weren’t disclosed.
Founded in 2016 and focused on the intersection of digital and mainstream content, After Party Studios was set up by YouTuber Callum McGinley, also known as Callux, film and commercial director Ben Doyle, CEO Joshua Barnett, who is a former ITV executive, and Base79 founder Richard Mansell.
Sister said its investment will fuel “the company’s ambitions to supercharge its award-winning original intellectual property, branded entertainment and digital-first slate” that will allow it to join founder-led partner companies within the company’s own portfolio spanning TV and film (Sister Pictures, Dorothy St Pictures, Yes Yes Media, Locksmith Animation, South of the River, Unanimous Media), podcasting (Campside Media), publishing (Zando, AWA) and music and live experiences (Koko).
After Party Studios’ series and formats include Sky Sports docuseries Scenes, Channel 4.0 hits Don’t Get Catfished, Find The… and Hear Me Out, the annual Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium and digital content supporting Netflix’s House of Guinness, Stranger Things and Being Gordon Ramsay. It has also worked on campaigns for the likes of Red Bull and Just Eat.
Its upcoming projects include In Search of Peace With Jordan Stephens for MTV U.K., Race to the Top, the docuseries following KSI’s takeover of Dagenham & Redbridge FC, and the ongoing social rollout of SNL U.K.ms digital series Five to Live for Sky One.
Said Sister CEO Lucinda Hicks: “The After Party Studios team occupies 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. 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.”
McGinley and Doyle, co-founders of After Party Studios, said: “Over the last decade, we’ve built After Party Studios alongside some of the best talent in front of and behind the camera, making work that is creatively ambitious and always striving to push internet culture forward. We’ve always cared deeply about storytelling, craft and originality in a space that has historically rewarded the opposite, because we believe the future of entertainment is online. Joining the Sister family feels like a natural next step for us. Their track record of backing bold, distinctive storytelling makes them an ideal partner as we take the company into its next chapter. We’re hugely excited for what comes next and for the opportunity to build on everything we’ve created so far.”
Added Barnett, co-founder and CEO of After Party Studios: “This partnership with Sister combines our complementary strengths and shared creative ambition, opening up genuinely limitless possibilities. Together, we can continue pushing boundaries and pioneering where the industry goes next. I can’t wait to get this absolute game-changing next chapter underway.”
Sister has “always stood for excellence in storytelling in all its forms, enabling exceptional creative entrepreneurs to do their best work and where every company is additive to the whole,” said Murdoch, co-founder and executive chairman, and Featherstone, co-founder and chief creative officer of Sister. “Callum, Ben, Josh and their ridiculously talented team are exactly that – relevant, engaging storytellers committed to excellence and to connecting with audiences wherever they are.” They highlighted the the “many opportunities for new, impactful collaborations.”
The deal was brokered by Chris Fry, COO of Sister, Barnett, and Kevin Deeley, CFO for After Party Studios. After Party Studios was advised on the deal by Waypoint Partners. Sister was represented by CMS, and After Party Studios by Harbottle & Lewis.
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