Studio group Lionsgate has completed its acquisition of Canada-based studio Entertainment One (eOne) for around $375 million, plus the assumption of production financing loans.
The deal brings eOne’s 6,500-title film and TV library, as well as its scripted and unscripted TV business, into the Lionsgate fold as the US-Canadian firm prepares to separate its studio business from its network and streamer Starz.
Series produced by eOne include US police procedural The Rookie for ABC, drama Yellowjackets for Showtime and the Discovery unscripted show Naked & Afraid.
The deal includes the film development rights to the Hasbro-owned Monopoly brand. It does not include kids’ franchise Peppa Pig, which drove a large portion of the $3.8 billion Hasbro paid for eOne in 2019, C21 Media reports.
This follows the announcement last month that Screaming Eagle Acquisition plans to combine with the studio business of Lionsgate, which comprises its Television Studio and Motion Picture Group segments and its film and television libraries, to launch Lionsgate Studios Corp.
This ranks among the largest SPAC deals announced last year.
The spinoff positions standalone Lionsgate Studios as a platform-agnostic, pure play content company with a deep portfolio of franchise properties including The Hunger Games, John Wick, The Twilight Saga and Ghosts, a robust film and television production and distribution business, a leading talent management and production company and a deep film and television library. Read more.
