Radial Entertainment, which was formed last year through the union of FilmRise and Shout Factory, has acquired the library of New Dominion Pictures, home of enduring nonfiction TV series including “The FBI Files,” “The New Detectives” and “A Haunting.”
The deal brings 600 hours of TV programs to the Radial Entertainment, which is backed by private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management. The company is in the midst of an expansion push under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Jeff Shultz, the former Paramount and Pluto TV executive. He’s shopping for libraries a la New Dominion that have a fan-favorite series.
New Dominion Pictures, based in Suffolk, Virgina, has produced series that have been staples in the Discovery Channel universe for years. Radial Entertainment knew how popular “FBI Files” and “New Detectives” were with nonfiction fans because Radial has licensed the shows for use on its genre-themed FAST channels. Radial plenty of data to guide the company on setting the value of New Dominion’s library, although financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Owning IP is the foundation of a durable content strategy,” Shultz said. “In a world where distribution is increasingly fragmented, controlling both the asset and its global distribution allows us to maximize value over time. These are proven franchises with enduring demand. With full rights in perpetuity, including remake and production rights, we can both optimize the existing catalog across global platforms and actively develop new content, extending the life of these brands for decades.”
New Dominion was founded in 1989. It specializes in nonfiction series revolving around true crime, paranormal, medical, military, history and reality show themes. New Dominion’s library also features such evergreen favorites series as the automotive-themed “Fantomworks” plus “Critical Rescue” and “Interpol Investigates.”
“This transaction is the culmination of co-founder Nicolas Valcour’s vision to continue to deliver high-quality, non-fiction programming to the world for years to come,” said David Stockmeier, president of New Dominion Pictures.
Greenberg Traurig was legal advisor to Radial Entertainment in the deal. Williams Mullen was legal advisor and CAA Evolution was financial advisor to New Dominion Pictures.
