FremantleMedia Acquires Majority Stake in 495 Productions

LONDON: FremantleMedia has purchased a majority stake in the reality producer 495 Productions, which is behind the pop-culture hit Jersey Shore.

FremantleMedia has taken a 75-percent stake, and will then have the option to acquire the remaining shares in the future. 495 Productions was founded by SallyAnn Salsano in 2006. The company developed and produced Jersey Shore and its spin-offs Snooki and JWOWW, The Show with Vinny and The Pauly D Project. Other productions include Tattoo Nightmares and Repo Games.

Cécile Frot-Coutaz, the CEO of FremantleMedia, commented: “495 Productions is undeniably one of the U.S.’s leading reality production companies with a unique approach to formatted character-driven reality shows which have proved compelling TV in the U.S. and around the world. This deal will allow us to expand our share of the valuable U.S. cable market and will complement and diversify our existing portfolio of content and clients. Together, our ambition is to continue to grow 495 Productions in the U.S. and to broaden its global footprint even further through our extensive distribution and production network.”

Thom Beers, the CEO of FremantleMedia North America, said: “SallyAnn is a brilliant leader, an unstoppable creative force and one of the most successful producers in the entertainment industry. Since founding the business 2006, she and the talented creative team at 495 Productions have built the company into a powerhouse responsible for some of the most watched and talked about programming on TV at the moment. This is a key strategic acquisition for FMNA which, with both Original Productions and 495 Productions in the fold, now commands a best-in-class production slate across all family, male and female demos, and for network, cable and syndication platforms.”

Salsano added: "This is a huge moment for me and the entire team at 495. That said, the decision of who to partner with and where to make my new home was easy because of my long-term relationships with both Cécile and Thom. They know me, they understand how I run my business and they appreciate the way I produce my shows. I started this company with nothing in 2006 and this is proof that if you love what you do, work your ass off and want it bad enough someone will notice and it will pay off."