ITV has bought the makers of BBC1’s The Voice, Dutch production company Talpa Media, for £355m in a deal that could end up costing more than double that.
Established by the creator of Big Brother, John de Mol, Talpa Media’s other shows include panel game I Love My Country and reality show Dating in the Dark.
It has created 75 shows in more than 180 countries but is best known for “spinning chair” talent show The Voice, currently in its fourth series on BBC1 featuring Rita Ora and Will.i.am.
ITV said it was a “further milestone in the company’s strategy of building an international content business” and “significantly strengthens ITV’s position as a leading producer in Europe”.
The broadcaster will pay €500m (£355m) up front with further payments dependent on future performance, up to a total potential cost of €1.1bn.
ITV chief executive, Adam Crozier, said: “Great content is at the heart of ITV’s growth strategy and the acquisition of Talpa builds on the success of our international content business and is absolutely in line with our desire to create and own formats that travel.
“John de Mol and his team have an incredible track record of doing that consistently over many years and I’m delighted to welcome them to the ITV family. This is a great opportunity for ITV to accelerate its progress in building a global content business of scale.”
It is the latest in a long line of production companies bought by ITV as it looks to boost its production arm, ITV Studios, and scale back its dependence on advertising.
US purchases have included Pawn Stars producer Leftfield and Duck Dynasty maker Gurney Productions, while in the UK it is home to Graham Norton’s So TV and Big Talk, maker of Rev and Friday Night Dinner, among others.
Talpa reported revenues of €233m and pre-tax profits of €61m in 2014.
De Mol said: “Of all the potential partners for Talpa, there’s no doubt ITV is the best fit.
“When it comes to the importance of content, the strategy of both successful companies is exactly the same and for Talpa this represents a fantastic opportunity for strong further growth.
“It also enables me personally to concentrate and focus even more on creating new, groundbreaking content.”
