Looking Glass buys Factory library, hires VP

Australian distributor Looking Glass International has acquired Factory Media’s 55-hour library and hired its sales chief, Sam Thompson.

This hands LGI new factual content, and comes after Factory became part of Squared Up Media at the turn of the year.

Thompson negotiated the Factory through a series of deals that have followed the merger.

He will debut LGI’s new slate at MIPTV next week before opening a London office. Its Fctory shows include Soviet Megamonsters, Angelo’s Kitchen and Drone Wars, and these now form part of a wider slate that also comprises wildlife, science, history, documentaries, travel, lifestyle and faraway culture programming.

Thompson had been with Factory as head of sales at the start of 2016, where he led distribution and presales of original programming, plus brand-funded commissions and coproductions.

Before that, he worked in Australia, where he began his career at World Wide Entertainment and then Big Media, latterly as managing director of international.

Nha-Uyen Chau, founder and CEO of LGI, said Thompson’s “experience and exceptional knowledge of the industry comes at an important time for the company as it works towards its strategic growth over the next few years”.

Thompson described the process of moving the Factory catalogue to LGI as “seamless”.

Factory was a lifestyle and sports digital content producer that pushed into international distribution in 2015, initially through the hire of Bo Stehmeier.

Magazine publisher Squared Up bought Factory in January. Execs such as Georgie Eyre have since exited as the merged business gets out of TV distribution.