M&A Deal Summary

Entertainment Studios Acquires The Weather Company

On March 22, 2018, Entertainment Studios acquired media company The Weather Company from Bain Capital Private Equity, The Blackstone Group and NBC Universal

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Entertainment Studios’ 1st transaction in the Media sector.
  • This is Entertainment Studios’ 3rd transaction in the United States.
  • This is Entertainment Studios’ 1st transaction in Georgia.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2018-03-22
Target The Weather Company
Sector Media
Buyer(s) Entertainment Studios
Sellers(s) Bain Capital Private Equity
The Blackstone Group
NBC Universal
Deal Type Divestiture

Target

The Weather Company

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
The Weather Company is the owner of The Weather Channel and provides people with weather forecasts, content and data, connecting with them through television, online, mobile and tablet screens. Through WSI and Weather Central, the company delivers professional weather services for the media, aviation, marine and energy sectors.

Search 200,500 Deals Now

SEARCH BY

  • Buyer Type (PE or Strategic)
  • Deal Size ($10M to $10B+)
  • Sector (60 Sectors)
  • Deal Type
  • Geography
  • & More

Try For Free 7-Day Free Trial

Buyer(S) 1

Buyer

Entertainment Studios

Los Angeles, California, United States
Category Company
Founded 1993
Sector Media
DESCRIPTION

Entertainment Studios, Inc. is an independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 3 of 5
Sector (Media) 1 of 3
Type (Divestiture) 1 of 1
State (Georgia) 1 of 2
Country (United States) 3 of 5
Year (2018) 1 of 1
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2016-06-14 TheGrio

New York, New York, United States

TheGrio is a digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2019-05-06 Bayou City Broadcasting

The Woodlands, Texas, United States

Bayou City Broadcasting LLC purpose was to purchase and operate broadcast TV stations in America. Bayou City Broadcasting LLC is a Texas-based company founded by Mr. DuJuan McCoy in December 2007.

Buy $165M

Seller(S) 3

SELLER

Bain Capital Private Equity

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1984
PE ASSETS 44.2B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Bain Capital Private Equity (BCPE), is the private equity investment arm of alternative asset management firm, Bain Capital. BCPE targets leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions in a wide variety of industries including information technology, communications, media, healthcare, industrial/manufacturing, retail/consumer, and financial services. Bain Capital is based in Boston with additional offices in New York, London, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Munich.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 113 of 147
Sector (Media) 8 of 8
Type (Divestiture) 6 of 8
State (Georgia) 7 of 8
Country (United States) 68 of 85
Year (2018) 2 of 8
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-03-14 iHeartMedia

San Antonio, Texas, United States

iHeartMedia is a diversified media and entertainment company with three reportable business segments, iHeartMedia, Americas outdoor advertising, and International outdoor advertising. iHeartMedia is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-03-29 Ideal Standard

Brussels, Belgium

Ideal Standard is an international manufacturer and marketer of kitchen and bath products. Ideal Standard was founded in 1901 and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Sell -
SELLER

The Blackstone Group

New York, New York, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1987
PE ASSETS 131.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

The Blackstone Group is a global alternative investment management firm. The Firm's investment activities span real estate, secondary investments, hedge funds, credit, infrastructure, and private equity. Blackstone's private equity group targets opportunities globally including buyout acquisitions of established companies, development projects, growth equity financings, and industry consolidations. Sectors of interest include automotive, healthcare, chemicals, industrial, commercial property, lodging, communications, media/publishing, consumer & retail, packaging, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, energy, technology, entertainment, telecommunications, financial services, theme parks, food & beverage, and transportation. Blackstone's private equity real estate group looks for opportunities across North/South America, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, and Europe. The real estate group will consider both equity and debt investments. Areas of interest include healthcare, hotel, industrial, office, residential, and retail. The Blackstone Group was formed in 1987 and is based in New York City.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 118 of 173
Sector (Media) 7 of 7
Type (Divestiture) 8 of 9
State (Georgia) 3 of 5
Country (United States) 73 of 105
Year (2018) 3 of 13
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-02-01 Clarion Events

London, United Kingdom

Clarion is an event organizer, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. In more recent times the firm has grown into a truly international business, with a portfolio of events and media brands across a range of vertical markets.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-04-13 CARD

Plano, Texas, United States

CARD is a provider of autism behavioral health services for children and adults affected by autism spectrum disorder. CARD was established in 1990 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

Buy -
SELLER

NBC Universal

New York, New York, United States
Category Company
Sector Media
Employees40,000
DESCRIPTION

NBCUniversal owns and operates a portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a motion picture company, television production operations, a leading television stations group, theme parks, and a suite of Internet-based businesses.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 5 of 6
Sector (Media) 2 of 2
Type (Divestiture) 2 of 2
State (Georgia) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 5 of 6
Year (2018) 1 of 1
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2017-05-10 Craftsy

Denver, Colorado, United States

Craftsy is a preeminent online destination for passionate makers to learn, create and share. With online classes, popular supplies and indie patterns, over five million creative enthusiasts are taking their skills to new heights. Craftsy was founded in 2011 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2021-07-13 BuzzFeed

New York, New York, United States

BuzzFeed is an independent digital media and tech company delivering news and entertainment content to a global audience. The company covers breaking news, produces original video, and creates content that people want to share on the web. BuzzFeed was formed in 2006 and is based in New York, New York.

Sell -
Mergr

Product

Company

Legal