NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Content Partners LLC, an entertainment finance firm that acquires cash flows from successful film, television and music properties, today announced that it has purchased a 50-percent interest in the blockbuster television franchise “CSI” (Crime Scene Investigation) from an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. The acquisition makes Content Partners an equal stakeholder in the second largest franchise in television history with CBS Corporation, which owns the other 50-percent interest. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Under the terms of the transaction, Content Partners and CBS will each own half of all rights in the franchise, which includes the CBS series “CSI” (currently in its 13th season), “CSI: New York” (currently in its ninth season), and “CSI Miami” (10 seasons completed). CBS will control all domestic and international distribution rights to the series.
“One of the most attractive aspects of this acquisition is the strong commitment that CBS has made in continuing to aggressively distribute and leverage the ‘CSI’ franchise across all media,” said Steven H. Kram, President and CEO of Content Partners. “The ‘CSI’ franchise is internationally acclaimed and has consistently been one of television’s top-rated shows since it debuted in 2000. We are proud to partner with CBS, which is one of the best producers and distributors of content in the world.”
LionTree Advisors acted as financial advisor to Content Partners in the transaction. Paul Wachter, Content Partners’ Co-Chairman of the Board was also instrumental in finalizing the transaction. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan provided financing for the deal.
The “CSI” transaction represents Content Partners’ largest acquisition to date, and bolsters its already extensive catalog of entertainment properties, which includes interests in 119 films and five television series, acquired from numerous high-profile actors, writers, directors and other financial participants in these properties. Content Partners leverages these assets through a unique business model that provides the entertainment industry’s creative and investment communities with financial liquidity in their interests in entertainment properties. This approach mitigates future risk in revenue receipts, and in return, Content Partners acquires future royalty ownership.
The “CSI” franchise has long been among the world’s most-watched television series; in fact, for five out of the last seven years, a “CSI” show has been the most-watched show globally. Its library contains 724 one-hour episodes, and airs in over 200 countries. Viewers and entertainment professionals have recognized the “CSI” franchise over the years with more than 250 nominations and over 80 major awards, including eight Primetime Emmys, five People’s Choice Awards, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.
About Content Partners, LLC
Established in 2006, Content Partners, LLC is a unique entertainment finance firm that buys passive revenue income streams in television and film. It is the only firm that specializes in buying back-end profit participations from service participants (writers, directors, producers, actors, talent agencies, and estates) and financial participants (investors, banks, financial institutions, hedge funds, and insurance companies). Content Partners focuses on the future value of film and television content distributed throughout the world and, to date, has acquired interests in 119 films and five television series, which collectively, have been nominated for over 700 major entertainment industry awards, winning more than 150. Content Partners’ asset portfolio includes films that have been theatrically released by every major movie studio, and represent more than $12.4 billion in worldwide box office sales. For more information, please visit Content Partners’ website at www.contentllc.com.