ZDF Enterprises Buys Stake in British Factual Producer

ZDF Enterprises has signed a deal for a stake in the factual specialist World Media Rights, marking its first investment in a U.K. production company.

The agreement is for a 32.5 percent minority stake and is subject to approval by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office. The investment coincides with a board restructure at World Media Rights. Existing board member and CEO Alan Griffiths is joined by David McNab, who takes on the role of creative director, and Tanja Meier-Sieden, ZDF Enterprises’ VP of corporate and portfolio strategy.

World Media Rights, which was founded in 2007, produces factual TV programming and drama reconstruction for a range of international broadcasters. Among its successful U.S. cable programming franchises are Black Ops, Air Crash Confidential and Myth Hunters.

Alan Griffiths, CEO of World Media Rights, added: “We have worked with a number of distribution businesses over the years and have found ZDF Enterprises an excellent partner who can best sell our shows internationally. This investment will help us further our ambitions by producing new types of shows in the factual-entertainment space.”

Alexander Coridass, the president and CEO of ZDF Enterprises, said: “Alan is a brilliant and internationally renowned creator and producer. We have had distribution mandates of World Media Rights productions for many years and value their creative strength and economical power. Thus, it was simply the next logical step in our partnership to become a shareholder. This closer relationship will enable us to jointly produce and market even more outstanding productions for the U.K., Germany and the entire world in the future.”