Gravity Media merges with EMG, Beyond productions in buyback from Banijay.

Two major industry deals have been announced this week.

Netherlands based production services EMG has merged with Gravity Media, founded by John Newton in 2000 in the UK.

The unnamed new venture will deliver broadcast, technology, production, and post-production solutions across many of the world’s most-watched live events including UEFA EUROs, FIFA World Cup, Summer and Winter Olympics, Roland Garros, ATP Tour, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Formula E, V8 Supercar Championship, Australian Open and US Open Tennis, plus major entertainment series including territory versions The Masked Singer, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, The Traitors and Love Island.

It will span more than 100 outside broadcast trucks and flypacks and 40 studios and production facilities across Europe, the Middle East, United States, and Australia, with 30 offices across 12 countries, with a total of 2,000 permanent employees.

The group will be led by Shaun Gregory(pictured top right), the current CEO of EMG, as its Global Chief Executive Officer. John Newton (pictured top left), Founder, CEO and majority shareholder of Gravity Media, will be appointed Executive Chairman of the new combined group.

John Newton said: “This is the right time to bring together EMG and Gravity Media to create a truly global production and media services business. This combination will allow us to play an increasingly important role for our customers and our people. Together, the group will offer new products, new services and enter new markets. I look forward to working with Shaun and the broader team to grow this exciting new business.”

Shaun Gregory said: “This is a pivotal day for the industry, as we bring together two powerhouses to create a truly global business. Both John and I believe this industry needs entities with significant global capability, that are prepared to invest. Our vision is to create a world-class business that sets new industry standards and can seamlessly enter and grow new markets. This is a fantastic opportunity, which in turn gives our customers the best solutions and quality they rightly demand. We’ll be able to invest in global platforms, end-to-end production and, of course, the best people. We’re looking forward to getting started!”

Meanwhile Mediaweek reports Beyond founder and CEO Mikael Borglund has bought back the production business from Banijay just twelve months after its sale.

Banijay will keep the distribution business Beyond Rights which had a catalogue of 8,000 hours of content from Beyond Productions and other third-party producers. No financial details have been revealed by either party.

“Banijay is more format driven. Beyond has never been a format company. We have always operated more in the documentary/factual space. We are much more Mythbusters than a format,” he said.

“We like doing things like the John Farnham documentary. There was a real market for it here, but it doesn’t really drive Banijay international aspirations.”