Gravity finalises Chief Entertainment acquisition

Gravity Media has completed its acquisition of Australia’s Chief Entertainment, a Sydney-based provider of live studio and production services, from Telstra Corporation.

The transaction completed on 30 August; Gravity announced it had struck an agreement to acquire Chief on 19 August.

Gravity Media currently operates in Australia under the Gearhouse Broadcast, HyperActive Broadcast and Input Media brands, and says the acquisition will complement the existing Input Media production centres in the UK as well as its Melbourne production and Sydney post-production facilities.

Chief provides production services and digital media delivery services to TV networks, sporting federations, entertainment franchises, agencies and commercial brands.

With around 50 staff, Chief also produces short and long-form programmes for both live and post-produced, as well as branded content and commercials.

This is the fifth acquisition that Gravity Media has made since securing investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners in September 2016.

In 2017 it took over sports production company Input Media, and Australian communications solutions company Stranger Designs. In March 2018 it bought Genesis Broadcast Services. In July 2018 it acquired Proshow Broadcast, a supplier of mobile production solutions in the USA and Canada.

John Newton, founder and chief executive of Gravity, commented: “Our Gearhouse Broadcast and Input Media businesses have worked with Chief Entertainment for many years and we see it as a natural fit with our existing businesses in Australia.”