eOne, DreamWorks, Participant, Reliance pact on Amblin Partners

eOne will handle the distribution of Amblin Partners films on a multi-territory output basis for Australia/New Zealand, Spain, U.K. and Benelux.

Entertainment One (eOne) has joined a raft of Hollywood heavy hitters, including DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media and Reliance Group, to launch Amblin Partners, a new film, television and digital content creation company.

The formation of Amblin Partners was announced Wednesday by Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll of Participant Media, Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Group and eOne president and CEO Darren Throop.

The new company will produce content under the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media brands. eOne will handle the direct distribution of Amblin Partners films on a multi-territory output basis for Australia/New Zealand and Spain, as well as the U.K. and Benelux. Prior to the formation of Amblin, eOne had an existing output arrangement with DreamWorks Studios for the Benelux region.

Amblin Partners will be run by CEO Michael Wright and president and COO Jeff Small, with Participant Media remaining a separate company which will independently develop, produce and finance films. Participant Media’s CEO David Linde and its narrative feature team led by EVP Jonathan King will work with Amblin Partners to develop and produce content for the new company, as well as look at opportunities for coproductions.

Amblin Television will become a division of Amblin Partners, to be run by co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. The remainder of the senior management team is made up of producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and president of production Holly Bario on the film side.

The deal was structured and arranged by J.P.Morgan Chase as a $500 million debt syndication. Comerica Bank served as the co-lead on the transaction. Other financial institutions involved in the deal include Sun Trust Bank, Union Bank, City National Bank and the Bank of America.

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