Italy's De Agostini Launches Global Content Group

LONDON,
November 26: The Italian publisher De Agostini has launched Zodiak
Entertainment, a new international content outfit that brings together its existing production companies,
including Magnolia Productions, Marathon Group and Zodiak Television, under one
brand.

The new
company, headquartered in Paris, will move De Agostini into the global television content market, tapping into the
resources of international groups such as Bullseye, Diverse Production, KM Productions, Neo
Network, Quadrio, TeleAlliance Media Group, Télé Images and Yellow Bird. Zodiak
Entertainment has a revenue target for the next three years of 800 million to 1
billion euros and EBITDA of 130 million to 150 million euros, with plans to
list the company on a stock exchange.

Lorenzo
Pellicioli, the CEO of De Agostini Group and CEO of Zodiak Entertainment,
commented, "The creation of Zodiak Entertainment today confirms our
commitment to create a worldwide leading brand, producing creative
entertainment content for television and new media. Consolidating and building
on the strong relationships with broadcasters, which we have inherited from
these excellent businesses, gives us a huge advantage in a very competitive
marketplace.

"We are
also investing in new and exciting talent to create even better, dynamic and
popular programming in the areas of both scripted and non-scripted. We also
intend to significantly extend our reach in developing programming for new
platforms, as well as growing our consumer products, licensing and publishing
units into a substantial and lucrative global business utilizing the advantages
and synergies from collaboration between Zodiak Entertainment and De Agostini's
other fields of activity, particularly publishing (De Agostini Publisher) and
the gaming sector (Lottomatica/Gtech)."

—By
Kristin Brzoznowski