adithya
Core Member
MUMBAI: Private equity giant KKR-backed Emerald Media has acquired controlling shares in India's leading animation content producer Cosmos-Maya, founded by filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi.
Cosmos-Maya, creators of the popular Motu Patlu animation series, has nine ongoing shows with multiple Indian television networks, besides owning digital channel WowKidz with three million active subscribers. Emerald is a vehicle for KKR to plough investments into media and entertainment sectors. The storied American investor backed industry veterans Rajesh Kamat and Paul Aiello with an initial corpus of $300 million to build the platform. Emerald didn't disclose financial details but said it was infusing fresh capital apart from buying out existing financial investors of Cosmos-Maya. Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi would remain as shareholders with the former steering operations as MD.
Cosmos-Maya has ongoing productions with major television and digital platforms, including Viacom18, Disney Networks, Turner International, Sony Pictures Network, Discovery Networks, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ALT Balaji. "KKR and Emerald Media have a strong understanding of the entertainment, broadcast and OTT space, which would help our ambition to create quality Indian content for global markets," Cosmos-Maya MD Ketan Mehta said. Emerald Media's Rajesh Kamat said, "Comos-Maya has its finger on the pulse of a very captive and influential audience, not to mention the added opportunity of brand expansion and merchandising for its properties." Emerald's other key investments include OTT video platform YuppTV and Amagi Media Labs, a targeted-TV ad solutions firm.
KKR co buys Ketan Mehta’s animation studio - Times of India
Cosmos-Maya, creators of the popular Motu Patlu animation series, has nine ongoing shows with multiple Indian television networks, besides owning digital channel WowKidz with three million active subscribers. Emerald is a vehicle for KKR to plough investments into media and entertainment sectors. The storied American investor backed industry veterans Rajesh Kamat and Paul Aiello with an initial corpus of $300 million to build the platform. Emerald didn't disclose financial details but said it was infusing fresh capital apart from buying out existing financial investors of Cosmos-Maya. Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi would remain as shareholders with the former steering operations as MD.
Cosmos-Maya has ongoing productions with major television and digital platforms, including Viacom18, Disney Networks, Turner International, Sony Pictures Network, Discovery Networks, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ALT Balaji. "KKR and Emerald Media have a strong understanding of the entertainment, broadcast and OTT space, which would help our ambition to create quality Indian content for global markets," Cosmos-Maya MD Ketan Mehta said. Emerald Media's Rajesh Kamat said, "Comos-Maya has its finger on the pulse of a very captive and influential audience, not to mention the added opportunity of brand expansion and merchandising for its properties." Emerald's other key investments include OTT video platform YuppTV and Amagi Media Labs, a targeted-TV ad solutions firm.
KKR co buys Ketan Mehta’s animation studio - Times of India
