Bell Media announced Monday it is making a strategic investment in Blink49 Studios, the independent production company founded in 2021 by former Entertainment One executives, including John Morayniss who serves as the studio’s CEO.
Headquartered in Toronto and with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Blink49 is already backed by global producer and distributor Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content).
As part of its investment, made through Bell Ventures, Bell Media alongside Fifth Season is striking a production and global distribution partnership with Blink49, aimed at growing the studio’s slate of scripted and unscripted content. The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, is set to close this fall, according to a Bell Media press release.
“This investment is another significant step in our continued efforts to enhance the reach of Canadian creatives and deliver impactful storytelling that resonates at home and abroad,” Sean Cohan, Bell Media’s president, said in the release. “John Morayniss and his team have a proven track record of bringing compelling content to the global market, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with them.”
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Blink49 in just a few short years, and this strategic investment from Bell Media marks an exciting new chapter in our growth,” Morayniss said in a statement. “Under Sean Cohan’s leadership and with the support of the talented team at Bell Media who share our commitment to compelling and entertaining storytelling, we’re well positioned to significantly expand our slate across both scripted and unscripted content, strengthen our reach in Canada and internationally, and continue building meaningful partnerships that bring bold, creative visions to life.”
Bell Media and Blink49 Studios have previously partnered on the docuseries Queen of the Castle for CTV Life Channel, as well as Crave original The Trades and other scripted series including Don’t Even (Crave), Late Bloomer (Crave) and Sight Unseen (CTV). The companies have announced two new projects: the upcoming reality series Blue Collar and scripted drama Yaga.
Blink49 is also the studio behind Wild Cards (CBC) and the reality series Beast Games (Prime Video), among others.
