Antenna Group has entered into a strategic partnership with The Raine Group, a global merchant bank focused on technology, media and telecommunications.
It will see Antenna become a shareholder of Raine and Theodore Kyriakou, chief executive of Antenna, join the Raine board of directors.
Together, the two companies will pool their media expertise, geographic strengths and shared industry vision to pursue growth opportunities in new entertainment formats, emerging technology platforms, content rights and production assets.
Antenna will also become Raine’s strategic partner in Europe as the merchant bank solidifies its global footprint.
In turn, Raine will help identify global expansion opportunities for Antenna in areas such as content production, digital media, music and online entertainment.
Commenting on the partnership, Kyriakou said: “Antenna has created significant value in the media industry, by managing and investing in a portfolio of broadcast networks, digital platforms and content production. Our operational and financial expertise, together with Raine’s powerful deal- making skills, will enable us to explore investment opportunities in existing as well as new markets.”
Joe Ravitch and Jeff Sine, co-founders of Raine, added: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Antenna and we welcome Theo to our Board of Directors. With his track record in making transformative media investments he will be a valuable resource for our team. Raine is keen to build on our strong network and we believe Antenna’s geographic and operational expertise will be a strong complement to our existing partners.”
Antenna has a growing portfolio of broadcast interests in Central and Eastern Europe, including the FTA channels. It is also focused on developing and investing in online content distribution and digital ventures, as well as growing internationally its content production and distribution arm.