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4. Amaze Oct 2007

Quayle Munro advises shareholders of Amaze TV on sale to Palamon Capital Partners

October 2007:

Quayle Munro advises Amaze TV on new “super-indie” partnership

- Amaze partners with D&D to form new European media group 
- Significant investment from Palamon Capital Partners 

Quayle Munro, the leading international corporate finance advisers in media, information and technology, is pleased to announce it has advised the shareholders of Amaze TV (“Amaze”), the UK factual entertainment producer, on the formation of a new European media group backed by substantial investment from Palamon Capital Partners. The deal completed on the 11th October 2007.

The new “super-indie” group, yet to be named, will be formed through Amaze’s partnership with D&D, one of Europe’s leading independent production companies and the winner of the 2006 Golden Rose D’Or Montreux. The partnership will create a significant pan-European media group that will focus on creating, producing and distributing innovative factual and “reality” programming across all genres. 

Amaze founder, Remy Blumenfeld will be Chief Creative Officer of the group, focusing on the UK and North American markets.  D&D’s co-founders Marc Dullaert and Paul Dumas will join him on the executive board. Remy Blumenfeld will continue to serve as CEO of Amaze, which he set up last year after he sold his previous firm Brighter Pictures, which now makes Big Brother, to Endemol.

Quayle Munro also advised Amaze on its first round of funding completed in December 2006.  Since then Amaze has attracted noted executives Sham Sandhu (Make Me A Supermodel), Bill Hobbins (Scrapheap Challenge) and head of development, Jonathan Stadlen (Dancing With The Stars). The company has programmes in development with several UK broadcasters including I’ve Got Your Number, which has been optioned in four territories and has had other formats optioned in the US, France, Germany and Australia.

Palamon will invest significantly in the partnership and also acquire significant stakes in Amaze and D&D. The investment marks Palamon’s eighth investment in its second fund, Palamon European Equity II, L.P., which was raised in 2006 and has commitments of €670 million.

Craig Muir, Managing Director, Quayle Munro, said:
“We are delighted to have advised Amaze TV over the last 12 months on its formation, initial funding, growth and transformation.  Our expertise in the media sector allowed us to assist Amaze in finding the best partners to support its strategy.  This new partnership with D&D, and investment from Palamon, will allow substantial opportunities for expansion in content generation and distribution in key markets in Europe and the US.” 

Remy Blumenfeld, CEO and Founder of Amaze TV, said:
"I worked with Quayle Munro on the sale of Brighter Pictures to Endemol in 2001 and their experience and contacts in this sector made them an obvious choice to work with at Amaze.”