Warner Bros. Television Group Enters Into Agreement to Acquire the Eyeworks Group in Deal That Grows International TV Production Business

Warner Bros. Television Group Enters Into Agreement to Acquire the Eyeworks Group in Deal That Grows International TV Production Business

AMSTERDAM, LONDON, and BURBANK, California, February 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



Eyeworks USA to Remain Independent



As part of the studio's television growth strategy, Warner Bros. Television Group
today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire(1) all Eyeworks'
businesses outside the US, in 15 countries across Europe, South America, Australia and New
Zealand, adding 13 new territories to its network of production companies. Once completed,
this acquisition will further strengthen Warner Bros.' international television production
capabilities and see Warner Bros. take over all of Eyeworks' international distribution
activities.



The announcement was made by Jeffrey Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide
Television Distribution, Craig Hunegs President, Business and Strategy, Warner Bros.
Television Group, Peter Roth, President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Television
Group and Reinout Oerlemans, Founder and current Chief Executive Officer of the Eyeworks
Group.



Founded in The Netherlands by Oerlemans in 2001, Eyeworks is a major international
independent producer and distributor of scripted and non-scripted content across a range
of genres, including entertainment, drama and film, which airs in more than 150 countries
worldwide.



The pending acquisition of Eyeworks marks a milestone for Warner Bros. International
Television Production, led by Ronald Goes, Executive Vice President & Head of Warner Bros.
International Television Production, which was originally formed by WBTVG in 2009 to
establish operating production companies.



Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment, said: "Our
proposed acquisition of Eyeworks' 15 local production companies, represents a significant
next step in our strategy, further strengthening Warner Bros.' position in global
television."



Hunegs, Schlesinger and Roth added: "This is an important move for the Warner Bros.
Television Group, as we establish local production companies around the world, each with a
mandate to develop original local programming and adapt the output from the studio. We see
Eyeworks as a strong complement to our existing US and international production
capabilities."



This follows the acquisition in 2010 of Shed Media, one of the leading production
companies in the UK, and in 2011, BlazHoffski in The Netherlands and Belgium.



In connection with the transaction, Reinout Oerlemans would move to Los Angeles for
his new role in the industry, as Chairman of Eyeworks USA, leading the further expansion
of that company in the USA. Reinout will step down as CEO of the Eyeworks Group once the
acquisition has been completed.



Oerlemans said: "It's fair to say that it got me thinking when Warner Bros. showed the
strong interest in Eyeworks. For Eyeworks, this is a defining step towards our ongoing
objective to be a major player in content production around the globe. I realize this is
the end of an era, because I will no longer be the CEO of the Group, after an amazing
period of 12.5 years since I've built the company from scratch together with Ronald van
Wechem and Robert van den Bogaard. Together with CFO Jan Peter Kerstens we have created
Eyeworks as what it is today: a creative and versatile content company, operating as a
tight knit web around the world. I know Ronald Goes will be a tremendous leader for this
fantastic group of talented people going forward."



(1)The acquisition of Eyeworks is expected to be complete later in 2014, subject to
regulatory approvals.



The WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP oversees and grows the entire portfolio of Warner
Bros.' television businesses, including worldwide production, traditional and digital
distribution, and broadcasting. One of WBTVG's businesses is Warner Bros. International
Television Production, (WBITVP) which aims to establish or acquire production companies in
major television territories around the world in order to become a leading producer of
local scripted and non-scripted programming.



EYEWORKS is a creative, independent television production company that develops,
produces and distributes content in different genres including fiction and entertainment.
Eyeworks was founded in The Netherlands in 2001 by Reinout Oerlemans. Currently, with
operations in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
Finland, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, the United States, New Zealand and
Australia, Eyeworks operates a tight-knit web of local affiliates on four continents. In
its 16 territories, Eyeworks produces television programs for over 100 different channels
and employs more than 1,500 people. Internationally successful titles include: Test The
Nation [http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/test_the_nation ], CQC
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/cqc ], Who Wants to Marry my Son
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/who_wants_to_marry_my_son ]?, Beat The
Blondes [http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/beat_the_blondes ], Reality
Queens of the Jungle
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/reality_queens_of_the_jungle ], I Know
What You Did Last Friday
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/i_know_what_you_did_last_friday ], Obese
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/extreme_makeover_weight_loss_edition_obese ]
(aka Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition), and their newest hit Celebrity Splash.
[http://www.eyeworks.tv/catalogue/catalogue_item/t/celebrity_splash ]




Warner Bros. Television Group

CONTACT: Deborah Lincoln, Warner Bros., +44-7879-484-944, Deborah.lincoln@warnerbros.com; Scott Rowe, Warner Bros. ,+1-818-954-5806, Scott.rowe@warnerbros.com


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