Newen Studios buys Nordic group Anagram amid European expansion

Romain Bessi

TF1 Group-owned Newen Studios has acquired Nordic drama production outfit Anagram.

The deal will see Anagram’s chairman & CEO Mats Alders, who has been in the role since 2013, retaining his position and overseeing all operations under its new owner.

Financial details have not been disclosed.

The French group’s Danish subsidiary Nimbus has previously worked with Anagram on production and distribution via Norwegian drama Between Us, while other shows on the slate include Ammo for TV2 Norway.

Anagram houses a raft of local producers including Miira Paasilinna, MD of Anagram Sweden (Tuesday Club) and Martin Persson (Thin Blue Line); Anagram Norway’s Anne Kolbjørnsen (Lillyhammer) and Ole Marius Araldsen (Milk); and Erik Ahrnbom (The Bridge), who is an in-house screenwriter at Anagram Sweden.

The Nordic company’s shows include SVT’s Thin Blue Line, Norwegian drama Milk and The Machinery for Viaplay, while feature output ranges from Tuesday Club to Halvdan Almost A Viking.

‘Scandi reinforcement’

Romain Bessi, CEO of Newen Studios, described Anagram as “a perfect match for us” that would “greatly complement and reinforce our already strong presence in Scandinavia, an essential region for drama & storytelling in Europe.”

The deal is the latest expansion for Newen, which has transformed since its acquisition by French broadcaster TF1 Group in 2015, tripling in size through acquisitions such as Spain’s iZen Group and Germany’s Flare Films.

It has also launched Ringside Studio in the UK and secured a further €50m ($56m) investment from financier Anton to secure distribution rights to film and documentary output earlier this year.

TF1 Studio was combined with Newen Studios at the start of 2020 and the company now has a presence in eight countries, with prodcos including Newen France, North America- and UK-based Reel One, De Mensen in Belgium and Tuvalu in the Netherlands.