Sports media platform Whistle Sports has paid an undisclosed amount to purchase New Form, a US-based digital entertainment studio backed by broadcasters ITV and Discovery Communications.
Founded in 2014, New Form creates televisual and digital content for media outlets such as Facebook Watch, YouTube Red, TBS, CW and TruTV. It will gain access to Whistle’s research and insights and brand partnerships teams and an audience of more than 518 million subscribers and social media followers.
The acquisition will also expand Whistle’s development and production capabilities, leveraging New Form to expand its short-form series franchises.
New Form raised $18m in a 2016 series B round that included ITV and Discovery Communications which took its total funding to $30m according to Variety.
The company also counts Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Jim Wiatt, Craig Jacobson, Ed Wilson and Michael Rosenberg as investors, and all its current shareholders have received shares in Whistle through the acquisition.
Bruce Campbell, chief development, distribution and legal officer for Discovery, said: “We are thrilled to be a part of this venture with our friends at Whistle and New Form. They are proven winners, and as a combined company, they will only continue to grow at an accelerated rate.”