Bell Media to Make Strategic Investment in Blink49 Studios
– The two companies strike a production and distribution partnership on a slate of Blink49 projects –
– The investment, made through Bell Ventures, is set to close this Fall –
BANFF, AB, June 9, 2025 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that it is making a strategic investment in independent production company, Blink49 Studios. Based in Toronto, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, Blink49 is known for its robust production pipeline and partnership capabilities within Canada, U.S., and Europe. The investment, which sees Bell Media strike, alongside FIFTH SEASON, a production and global distribution partnership with Blink49, further enhances Blink49's capabilities as it continues to grow its slate of scripted and unscripted content. The deal is set to close this Fall.
"This investment is another significant step in our continued efforts to enhance the reach of Canadian creatives and deliver impactful storytelling that resonates at home and abroad," said Sean Cohan, President, Bell Media. "John Morayniss and his team have a proven track record of bringing compelling content to the global market, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with them."
"We're incredibly proud of what we've built at Blink49 in just a few short years, and this strategic investment from Bell Media marks an exciting new chapter in our growth," said John Morayniss, CEO, Blink49 Studios. "Under Sean Cohan's leadership and with the support of the talented team at Bell Media who share our commitment to compelling and entertaining storytelling, we're well positioned to significantly expand our slate across both scripted and unscripted content, strengthen our reach in Canada and internationally, and continue building meaningful partnerships that bring bold, creative visions to life."
Founded in the fall of 2021, Blink49 Studios is a world-class full-service indie studio focused on the development, production, and distribution of scripted and unscripted television and made-for-TV movies. Bell Media and Blink49 Studios have recently partnered on docuseries QUEEN OF THE CASTLE, and scripted series including DON'T EVEN, LATE BLOOMER, SIGHT UNSEEN, and THE TRADES in addition to two newly announced projects, the upcoming reality series BLUE COLLAR and scripted drama YAGA. Other series produced by Blink49 include drama series WILD CARDS and international reality series BEAST GAMES, among others.
Bell Media joins global entertainment leader, FIFTH SEASON, in making a strategic investment in Blink49. Bell Media's investment is made through Bell Ventures which supports Canadian entrepreneurship, helping to drive innovation and accelerate growth for its partners.
About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading media and entertainment company with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. This includes Canada's most-watched television network, CTV; the largest Canadian-owned video streamer, Crave, with a premium add-on to include STARZ; a powerful suite of specialty channels; the most-trusted news brand, CTV News; Canada's cross-platform sports leaders, TSN and RDS; leading out-of-home advertising network, Astral; Québec's fast-growing conventional French-language network, Noovo; the country's leading radio and podcast app, iHeartRadio Canada; and a range of award-winning original productions, brands, and services. As a content leader and partner in Sphere Media, Montréal's Grande Studios, and Dome Productions, one of North America's leading production facilities providers, Bell Media is committed to keeping Canadians entertained and informed.
Bell Media also offers best-in-class technology, marketing, and analytics support through Bell Marketing Platform, an omnichannel self-serve platform which includes Bell Analytics, Strategic Audience Management (SAM), and Bell DSP, in addition to advanced advertising solutions, including Linear Addressable TV, Addressable Audio, and ads on Crave. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. 1 Learn more at BellMedia.ca.
1 Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.
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