Asylum Invests in Moon&Back Media

Asylum Entertainment Group has invested in the newly launched London-based production company Moon&Back Media.

Founded by talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell), veteran broadcast executive Dawn Airey (Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Sky) and BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Hall (Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor), Moon&Back Media was formed to create talent-driven international formats.

The investment gives Moon&Back access to Asylum’s global portfolio while expanding Asylum’s footprint into the U.K.

Hall’s experience is highlighted by his work as head of light entertainment at ITV, where he created hits such as Celebrity Stars in their Eyes, You’ve Been Framed and Saturday Night Takeaway. Hall was part of Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment as managing director and co-created, formatted and executive produced the U.K. and global versions of The X Factor and the Got Talent franchise.

Lindsay—who co-founded the James Grant (YMU) talent agency—is the one who pulled in Hall to forge Syco. He also co-founded Talent Bank, which combines the entertainment industry’s top talent with a network of digital broadcast platforms.

Airey’s career has seen her hold many roles in broadcast television. She served as controller of arts and entertainment at Channel 4, CEO of Channel 5 and managing director of Sky Channels and ITV Productions. She also served as senior VP of Yahoo! and CEO of Getty Images.

“This past year, we’ve been focused on aligning with inspired storytellers, including producers, artists and brands, to carve new opportunities that will entertain and inform our audiences,” said Steve Michaels, chief executive officer of Asylum. “Nigel, Dawn and Russ offer a wealth of diverse experience; they’re incredibly esteemed visionaries who are committed to excellence in their craft.”

Airey said, “We share the same values, business acumen and ambition as the team at Asylum, and we’re confident that our combined imaginations will empower us to create the very best unscripted content to entertain, surprise and delight audiences around the world.”