LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Fox Entertainment has acquired independent studio MarVista Entertainment, a prolific producer of made for TV movies and a producer for Fox’s Tubi streaming service. The deal is part of Fox’s strategy of ramping up its content production for streaming services.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Based in Los Angeles and established in 2003, MarVista ranks among the world’s leading independent studios, with nearly two decades of developing, producing and distributing made-for-platform TV movies for partners in the U.S. and abroad.
Under founding partner Fernando Szew, the studio produces an average of 80 titles annually across all genres and has a catalog of more than 2,500 hours of programming.
With the acquisition, Fox said that MarVista will focus on developing and producing content for Fox’s digital platforms, including the ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) service Tubi.
The studio also will continue to work with growing roster of third-party buyers and co-production partners, while distributing its content globally.
MarVista will continue to be led by Szew and the current management. Szew will report to Fox Entertainment president of production strategy and operations, Stefan Reinhardt.
“Fernando and his team have built a globally respected studio with a track record of prolific creative output, a vast library of owned titles and an efficient approach to production that’s admired industry-wide,” said Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier. “With these key strategic advantages, acquiring and investing in MarVista aligns perfectly with Fox Entertainment’s long-term vision for streaming and diversifying our in-house capabilities and infrastructure, as we expand our portfolio. Across the board, MarVista boasts a wonderfully talented team, which we happily welcome to our fast-growing organization.”
MarVista recently produced and/or distributed several titles for Tubi, including the thrillers “Twisted House Sitter”, “The Deadliest Lie” and Holiday-themed “A Chance For Christmas”, all of which Fox said have been among the platform’s exceptional performers.
MarVista joins Fox Entertainment’s fast-growing portfolio. In September, Fox Entertainment acquired the entertainment platform TMZ and all its media properties from WarnerMedia. Fox Entertainment and chef, restaurateur and presenter Gordon Ramsay recently formed Studio Ramsay Global, a new, co-owned production entity that develops, produces and distributes culinary and lifestyle programming for Fox, Tubi and platforms worldwide.
Fox Entertainment also owns the Emmy Award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, which, last summer, launched the NFT studio Blockchain Creative Labs and the in-house unscripted studio, Fox Alternative Entertainment.
