TORONTO – Boat Rocker Media has acquired a majority stake in TV producer Insight Productions, the companies announced Friday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Insight is behind hits such as The Amazing Race Canada, Big Brother Canada, and The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration (pictured), as well as 24 years of The Juno Awards. Most recently, Insight and Bell Media partnered on The Launch, and the company is also producing the upcoming SCTV comedy special with Second City Entertainment and Netflix.
“Effective immediately, this investment enables Insight to increase and diversify its content offerings and move more aggressively into digital content while signifying Boat Rocker’s continued growth in the Canadian market and around the world”, reads the news release.
Under the new structure, Insight will operate as an independent business unit, with Boat Rocker providing capital investment in addition to business and strategic support.
Insight’s founder, chairman and CEO John Brunton will continue to run all aspects of the company, and the entire Insight team, including senior management and showrunners, will remain in place. COO and president Barbara Bowlby is transitioning into retirement this year but will remain a senior advisor and shareholder of the company.
Boat Rocker Media, home to series including Orphan Black, Killjoys, X Company and Masterchef Canada, said that the investment solidifies its position as “a premier format and live producer in Canada”.
“John and Barb have built an incredible business over the last four decades and we are proud to become partners with such pillars of the Canadian production industry,” said Boat Rocker Media CEO John Young, and co-executive chairmen David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, in the release. “We are equally excited to collaborate with some of the best showrunners and producers in Canada as Insight’s incredible team continues to raise the bar with domestic and international broadcasters alike.”
“We’ve had the great pleasure of counting John, David and Ivan as friends and respected colleagues for many years, so we’re delighted to join forces with them and Boat Rocker,” added Insight’s Brunton and Bowlby. “Boat Rocker’s investment in our company and our team amplifies our ability to expand and diversify Insight’s development slate and allows us to plunge more aggressively into the digital world.”
