SpringHill Company, Fulwell73 Team to Create Unscripted, Sports Powerhouse
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LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company has struck an agreement to merge with British film, TV and music company Fulwell 73 to create a media, unscripted entertainment and sports-related content powerhouse.
The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, will bring together the two companies’ portfolios of unscripted and live programming, as well as combine resources across Europe and the U.S., as they look to “meet the challenges of a complex market environment while simultaneously building for the future of the industry.”
The combined entity, which will initially focus on television and film content, digital content through its owned network business, live events and brand strategy through The SpringHill Company's New York-based brand consultancy firm Robot, is backed by Fenway Sports Group, RedBird Capital Partners, UC Investments, Nike, Epic Games, Main Street Advisors and Eldridge Industries.
As part of the deal, the group of existing shareholders invest $40 million in fresh funding to fuel the combined company’s growth initiatives.
Fulwell 73 was founded in 2005 by partners Ben Winston, Leo Pearlman, Ben Turner and Gabe Turner. In 2017, James Corden became a fifth partner. The London-based firm is partially owned by Eldrige Industries, which is led by Chelsea FC and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly.
Fulwell's TV credits include The Grammy Awards, Max’s “Friends: The Reunion,” "Carpool Karaoke The Series," "The Late Late Show With James Corden" and "The Kardashians," the CBS special "Adele: One Night Only" and BAFTA-nominated "An Audience With Adele," for ITV, Disney+'s "Among the Stars," Netflix's "Sex Unzipped" hosted by Saweetie, Amazon documentary "All or Nothing Juventus," Netflix documentary "Sunderland 'Til I Die," BBC's "Jack Whitehall's Sporting Nation" and BAFTA-winning feature doc "Bros: After the Screaming Stops," Channel 4's "Auschwitz Untold: In Colour," the "Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special" for BBC One and the U.K.'s "Stand Up to Cancer" special.
Its film credits include Amazon's retelling of "Cinderella," starring Camila Cabello, and Nickelodeon's "Real Pigeons Fight Crime," Lionsgate's "In the Hands of God," Universal Pictures' football documentary "The Class of '92," Sony Pictures' "One Direction 3D: This Is Us" and Universal Pictures' Usain Bolt documentary "I Am Bolt.
The company also recently announced plans to build one of Europe’s largest film and HETV studios in Sunderland – CrownWorks Studio – which will break ground this year.
“Since Fulwell 73's inception, we’ve tried to make content that entertains, informs, and excites, while sparking conversations around the world. "That's the mantra at The SpringHill Company as well," Winston, Pearlman, Ben and Gabe Turner and Corden said in a joint statement. “Together, we'll continue doing what we do best, and now we’ll do it as a global entertainment studio with more to offer our partners. We recognize the major shifts underway in entertainment and the world and we’re excited to build a company with The SpringHill Company that’s designed for the future.”
James and Carter founded the SpringHill Company in 2020. It is comprised of SpringHill Entertainment, a production company founded in 2007; marketing agency and consulting firm Robot Company; and digital media brand Uninterrupted.
The company's credits include Warner Bros. Pictures' "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and "House Party," Netflix's "Hustle," “Starting 5,” “Rez Ball,” and "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker," Peacock's "Shooting Stars," NBC and Peacock holiday special "A Motown Christmas,” Paramount+'s "Fantasy Football" and “How Music Got Free,” HBO's "The Shop," BAFTA TV Award-winning series "Top Boy,” CNN documentary "Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street" and the upcoming docuseries “On The Rise: JuJu Watkins."
“At The SpringHill Company, we've always given athletes, artists and brands a platform to tell meaningful and diverse stories in all forms and formats, from digital-native shows and IRL experiences to streamed series and theatrically released movies," Carter said. "We found like-minded partners in Fulwell 73, partners who understand this business and the critical importance of building opportunities for talent across the media and entertainment landscape. Like everyone, we see the ways audience behavior is shifting and the demands on storytellers are evolving. We are excited for those changes and feel ready to adapt alongside the Fulwell 73 team.”
Carter and Pearlman will serve as joint CEOs of the combined company, while Gabe and Ben Turner, Winston and Corden will also serve in senior leadership roles across creative and strategy.
The SpringHill Company was advised by leading LA-based media & entertainment investment and advisory firm Main Street Advisors as well as law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Fulwell 73 was advised by the London-based investment team at NewShore Partners as well as Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz for United States legal and tax matters and Wiggin and Saffreys for United Kingdom legal and tax matters.
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