Published:
14-Mar-08
FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), commercial arm of UK media giant FremantleMedia, has launched its own DVD label to manage its home entertainment content in Australia and New Zealand. The new DVD label, FHE Australia, will distribute content exclusively via Destra, Australia's largest independent digital media and entertainment company. Destra in turn will distribute the content via its group of companies including Magna Pacific, MRA Entertainment and Visual Entertainment Group. FHE Australia also plans to acquire other content from local and foreign sources including its Australian production company FremantleMedia Australia. FHE Australia will be operated by a local team in cooperation with Destra. FremantleMedia's titles include the
Jamie Oliver franchise,
Neighbours,
Satisfaction,
Benny Hill and
Live from Abbey Road. The move is designed to further grow revenue from DVD sales as well as capitalise on Destra's local knowledge and expertise in both sales and distribution. Own-label initiative will also serve as a test case for the possibility of setting up similar labels in other territories that may be distributed directly.
Our take...
New multimillion-dollar deal follows a past partnership between FME and Destra's MRA Entertainment for distribution of the documentary series Prehistoric Park. Destra acquired MRA Entertainment in December 2006, one of its of 11 media-related business acquisitions since December 2005. Destra has transformed from a hosting to digital media company via the acquisition of Rajon Distribution in December 2005, Visual Entertainment Group in April 2006 and Australia's leading independent film and DVD distributor Magna Pacific in August 2007. Destra also holds a 19.9% stake in Australian online DVD rental company Quickflix and a 10 per cent stake in production company Beyond International. Destra's acquisitions and partnerships are part of its strategy to expand its content offering in the Australian market and extend its capacity to deliver 'credible and compelling content' across multiple platforms.