Mediawan Acquires Côte Ouest

Mediawan has picked up a majority stake in Côte Ouest, which distributes a catalog of more than 20,000 hours of content to clients across Africa.

Côte Ouest is home to a diverse slate, including content from the U.S. majors, Brazilian telenovelas and more, trading with more than 150 clients in almost 70 markets, primarily in French- and English-speaking Africa. The venture also participates in the development of African productions such as Les Bobodioufs, Hospital IT and The Getaway and operates the Nina Novelas pay-TV channel.

The transaction builds on Mediawan’s existing business in Africa, which includes several co-productions with Canal+ International and ownership of the Dakar-based production company Keewu. Canal+ International will hold a minority stake in Côte Ouest and contribute its own content to the distribution outfit.

“Mediawan Africa is dedicated to recruiting talent, producing and promoting African works both within Africa and to other markets around the world,” said François Thiellet, president of Mediawan Africa. “I am delighted with the acquisition of Côte Ouest, a leading player thanks to its know-how and expertise. This is a major step forward in the development of Mediawan Africa and complements our production operations managed by our company Keewu Production. Moreover, the support of our partner Canal+ International allows us to enrich our catalog and to accelerate the implementation of our strategy toward the promotion of our productions.”

Bernard Azria, founder and CEO of Côte Ouest, added, “I am very proud to have developed Côte Ouest into the leading distribution companies in Africa. In this ever-changing world, it is of course of the utmost importance to me to guarantee the future of this business that I have carried with passion and conviction for more than 25 years, and I believe the Mediawan group with its great independence, professionalism and its extensive business connections is the best partner to continue driving our growth and secure a long and prosperous future for Côte Ouest.”