EXCLUSIVE: Exciting news! Scotland’s STV is on the verge of acquiring the renowned Lego Masters production group, Greenbird Media, from Keshet International (KI), according to FilmmakerFocus. The deal, rumored to be worth tens of millions of pounds, is expected to be announced very soon. Greenbird, led by Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, was put up for sale by Keshet last year after being acquired from BBC Studios in 2018, as reported by TBI.
Headquartered in Scotland, STV is a prominent broadcasting and production company that achieved a turnover of £138M last year. Its production arm, STV Studios, is responsible for hit shows like Apple TV+’s Criminal Record and Channel 4’s Screw. MD David Mortimer recently expressed his ambition for STV Studios to become the “biggest nations and regions indie,” as mentioned in Broadcast.
When the deal is finalized, STV will gain minority stakes in notable companies such as Lego Masters creator Tuesday’s Child, Frank Spotnitz’s indie Big Light Productions (known for X Files), and Rumpus Media (producer of Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back). Greenbird also holds a majority ownership in Crackit Productions and has minority interests in Hello Halo, Interstellar, and Top Hat. According to Greenbird’s latest Companies House accounts, their stakes range from 63% in Crackit to 5% in Stacey Dooley’s label, Little Dooley.
For over a decade, London-based Greenbird has operated with an incubator model, investing in British indies and providing them with office space, back office resources, and valuable financial and strategic advice. Tuesday’s Child, which is Greenbird’s top revenue generator, acquired a controlling stake in Singleton producer Interstellar earlier this year. Interstellar became part of Greenbird’s umbrella in 2020 when Keshet International divided its UK scripted and unscripted divisions.
The sale of Greenbird is being advised by GothamStreet. KI, STV, and Greenbird have all declined to comment on the matter.
