Shout! Studios Significantly Expands Library With Acquisition Of Gravitas Ventures

Shout! Studios, a multi-platform media company backed by Oaktree Capital Management, has acquired Gravitas Ventures from Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.

Shout! remains highly committed to expanding its growing content portfolio by acquiring entertainment companies and major content libraries, while continuing to partner with independent rights owners to monetize content and launch new streaming channels.

This addition to the Shout! Studios’ family of properties is consistent with the Company’s strategic vision to build a large-scale, world-class distributor of movies and TV series for multi-platform partners around the globe. Gravitas Ventures provides Shout! access to over 3,300 scripted, non-scripted, and sports-related feature film, documentary, and television titles, adding genre diversification and title depth to Shout’s already extensive catalogue.

Shout! Studios and Gravitas Ventures will operate as two distinct brands, continuing each businesses’ long-standing tradition of serving and supporting independent filmmakers and studios alike. Each brand will continue to actively distribute content from its respective catalogue, leveraging a scaled combined distribution organization to better monetize content across traditional and digital channels.

“Gravitas represents the next step in our continued expansion of the catalogue at Shout. We are excited to join forces with the Gravitas team and see several opportunities to expand distribution of the combined library,” said Garson Foos, CEO of Shout! Studios.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Gravitas to the Shout! family and believe it represents another successful example of Shout’s ability to identify and execute upon attractive library acquisitions in the space. We are excited to continue to support the entire Shout team as we pursue other organic growth and M&A opportunities going forward” said Jared Frandle, Managing Director for Oaktree’s Special Situations Strategy.

Salem Partners acted as the exclusive financial and investment banking advisor to Anthem Sports & Entertainment and Gravitas Ventures, led by Ivar Combrinck. Sheppard Mullin acted as exclusive legal advisors to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, led by Shaun Clark and Aerin Snow. Greenberg Traurig acted as exclusive legal advisors to Shout Studios, led by Ben Einbinder and Daniel Black.

About Gravitas Ventures
For over 18 years, Gravitas Ventures has connected independent filmmakers with distribution opportunities worldwide. This Cleveland-based company boasts a wide-ranging network of strong connections with leading providers across the AVOD, PVOD, VOD, SVOD, TVOD, and theatrical landscapes. Recent successful films from Gravitas include Mack & Rita starring Academy Award®-winner Diane Keaton, The King's Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan and Kaya Scodelario, Queen Bees, starring Ellen Burstyn and James Caan, Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel, Vanguard, starring Jackie Chan, The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, among other notables.

About Shout! Studios
Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. The company has evolved with the changing entertainment landscape to excel in all forms of content distribution, including theatrical, digital streaming, broadcast and in-flight licensing, physical media, and more. Shout! Studios owns Gravitas Ventures and manages a large portfolio of feature films, series, anime, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including Aardman Animations, The Carol Burnett Show, GKIDS and Studio Ghibli (including the latest Academy Award® -winning masterpiece from Miyazaki, The Boy And The Heron), LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Golden Princess movie library, alongside many others. Shout! Studios operates two successful imprints – Scream Factory for genre horror films and TV, and Shout! Kids for family animation and live-action entertainment. Shout! Studios also operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! TV and its family of FAST channels. Shout! Studios produces, acquires, and distributes new films, including Shout! Studios’ original film Old Henry (Tim Blake Nelson), acclaimed Western The Dead Don’t Hurt (Viggo Mortensen, Vicky Krieps), Linoleum (Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn), Shekhar Kapur’s What’s Love Got To Do With It (Lily James, Emma Thompson), family comedy A Sudden Case of Christmas (Danny DeVito, Andie MacDowell), and the upcoming Western thriller Killing Faith (Guy Pearce, DeWanda Wise, Bill Pullman). Shout! Studios is based in Los Angeles, California.