Latest news with #JakeHumphrey
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
All3Media owner RedBird IMI among suitors for Coulthard-owned TV firm
The owner of the television producer behind Squid Game: The Challenge and Call The Midwife is among the suitors circling Whisper Group, the firm founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard. Sky News has learnt that RedBird IMI has tabled an offer for Whisper Group, which has been exploring a sale for several months. Sources said the auction process was at a critical stage with a buyer potentially being selected within days. Money latest: RedBird IMI, which had hoped to take full control of The Daily Telegraph before a change of media ownership law meant that its Abu Dhabi state involvement had to be curtailed, already owns All3Media, the TV production giant behind a string of hit shows. However, its interest in Whisper is said to have been expressed through RedBird IMI rather than being conducted using All3Media as the acquirer. RedBird is now in the advanced stages of taking control of the Telegraph newspaper titles, with IMI restricted to owning a maximum 15% stake. The identities of the other bidders for Whisper were unclear on Thursday evening. Whisper Group was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022. It is working with advisers at KPMG on a deal. Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020. Sony replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business. A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team. The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics. Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh. Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey. It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull. Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams. Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager. It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton. Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024. Both RedBird IMI and Whisper declined to comment.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
All3Media owner RedBird IMI among suitors for Coulthard-owned TV firm
The owner of the television producer behind Squid Game: The Challenge and Call The Midwife is among the suitors circling Whisper Group, the firm founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard. Sky News has learnt that RedBird IMI has tabled an offer for Whisper Group, which has been exploring a sale for several months. Sources said the auction process was at a critical stage with a buyer potentially being selected within days. RedBird IMI, which had hoped to take full control of The Daily Telegraph before a change of media ownership law meant that its Abu Dhabi state involvement had to be curtailed, already owns All3Media, the TV production giant behind a string of hit shows. However, its interest in Whisper is said to have been expressed through RedBird IMI rather than being conducted using All3Media as the acquirer. RedBird is now in the advanced stages of taking control of the Telegraph newspaper titles, with IMI restricted to owning a maximum 15% stake. The identities of the other bidders for Whisper were unclear on Thursday evening. Whisper Group was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022. It is working with advisers at KPMG on a deal. Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020. Sony replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business. A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team. The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics. Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh. Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey. It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull. Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams. Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager. It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton. Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024.
Sky News
29-03-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Coulthard and Humphrey-backed TV producer Whisper screens bidders
The television production company founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard is in talks with potential buyers about a sale. Sky News has learnt that Whisper Group, which was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022, is working with advisers on a deal. The company is said to be open to a range of options, including the sale of a majority or minority stake to either financial investors or a strategic buyer. Corporate financiers at KPMG are orchestrating talks with potential bidders. Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020. It replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business. A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team. The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics. Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh. Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey. It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull. Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams. Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager. It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton. Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024. "Whisper has successful diversified into factual, entertainment and events to complement the wider blend of work across its sports broadcast contracts," it said in a statement accompanying the accounts. "It has been another successful year for contract wins, with a series of renewals with key clients and a new range of significant projects which will help ensure visibility over the next few years." The sale process comes as ITV holds talks about a merger of its Studios arm with RedBird IMI-owned All3Media, one of Britain's biggest production companies. A combination of the two businesses could be announced during the spring, according to banking sources.
