‘Masked Singer UK’ Super-Indie Argonon Reveals Acquisition Plans And West Coast Focus
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Masked Singer UK and Hard Cell super-indie Argonon is in advanced discussions over potential acquisitions on the West Coast and has shifted its U.S.
development team to LA.The move comes as CEO James Burstall forecasts the London-headquartered outfit’s “biggest year yet,” with a focus on M&A and West Coast expansion and 200 hours’ worth of production confirmed.Burstall said a “strategic growth plan through international expansion and creative acquisition” will likely see the group enlarged by the end of 2022.Discussions around potential West Coast acquisitions and partnerships are currently taking place, Deadline understands, with more to come over the coming weeks and months.
Meanwhile, Argonon is to move its U.S. development team from its New York satellite to L.A.The West Coast office opened in 2020 and is overseen by Burstall and Chief Operating Officer Shirley Escott.Argonon most recently acquired UK brand agency Nemorin Film + Television and new factual indie Studio Leo, and has eight labels, including Masked Singer / Masked Dancer UK producer Bandicoot Scotland and Netflix’s Catherine Tate-starring Hard Cell indie Leopard Pictures, which is also behind the BBC’s popular Christmas adaptation of Worzel Gummidge.The plans come as Argonon unveils a rebrand under the strapline “The World Watches,” with a new logo debuting on New Year’s Day on ITV’s Masked Singer UK.“Our new brand identity is the visualisation of our ambitions and aspirations, and our brand proposition is brave and exciting, capturing the breadth of our content, the diversity of our people, the globality of our business and the diversification of our business model,” said Burstall.The rebrand was overseen by Global Comms Director Rich Turner.
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