Los Angeles, CA – September 12, 2019 – Global entertainment company, Boat Rocker Media, has acquired Los Angeles-based television production studio, Platform One Media. Platform One will immediately strengthen Boat Rocker’s foothold in US and global television production, notably in premium scripted series, where Platform One has quickly grown to become a market leader.
After successfully launching Gaumont Television as CEO from the ground up,
Katie O’Connell Marsh launched Platform One in 2017 as CEO. Since that time Platform One has developed a world-class slate of projects, including the recently greenlit untitled science fiction series from Simon Kinberg and David Weil for Apple, and straight-to-series Rust for Showtime, based on Philipp Meyer’s debut novel American Rust, starring and executive produced by Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, Godless) and written by Oscar nominee Dan Futterman (Capote). The studio is also in pre-production on Rita, a pilot for Showtime starring Game of Thrones actressLena Headey and created by Christian Torpe; on Beacon 23, a drama series from Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Avengers, X-Men franchise) for Spectrum Originals, and has a first-look television deal with Laura Dern and Jayme Lemon’s production company, Jaywalker Pictures.
As part of the acquisition, O’Connell Marsh has been promoted to Founder and Chairman of Platform One and will be taking on a soon-to-be-announced senior leadership role at Boat Rocker. In 2015, Katie was recognized in Variety’s Women’s Impact Report, and in 2014, she was recognized in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 100 Power Women in Entertainment. In addition, current Platform One Chief Creative Officer, Elisa Ellis, and Head of Finance and Strategy, Steve Lescroart, have been promoted to Co-Presidents of Platform One, reporting to O’Connell Marsh, effective immediately.
“Platform One represents an unbelievable opportunity for Boat Rocker to build off of successful franchises like Orphan Black and expand its presence in scripted television and film. Under Katie’s leadership, the studio is producing some of the biggest and most anticipated television series in the world, while maintaining its trademark curated and boutique approach to its slate and partnerships,” said Boat Rocker Co-Founders and Co-Executive Chairmen, Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier. “We are mutually aligned in our desire to produce only best-in-class projects that entertain and inspire viewers worldwide.”
“What Katie and Platform One have accomplished in only a couple years is beyond impressive,” said John Young, CEO of Boat Rocker. “We’re confident that with the additional horsepower provided by the larger Boat Rocker family of companies, including Untitled Entertainment, Boat Rocker Ventures and our global sales and brands teams, Platform One will be ideally positioned to push forward on its ambitions of becoming a leader in producing high-end, world-beating entertainment.”
“The ethos and shared outlook on the ever-changing global media business was the primary driver in pursuing this opportunity with Boat Rocker,” commented O’Connell
Marsh. “David, Ivan, and John have built a world class portfolio of businesses all aligned to produce and distribute entertaining and meaningful content across the globe. I’m thrilled for our creative partners and the team at Platform One to join such an innovative and ambitious company.”
This acquisition marks a further continuation of Boat Rocker’s expansion into the LA and New York markets, building off of its recent acquisition of full-service production company, Matador Content, a leader in unscripted television (Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network), and investment in leading talent and production company, Untitled Entertainment. Other recent deals for Boat Rocker include its acquisition of Fremantle’s Kids & Family business and Insight Productions.
ABOUT BOAT ROCKER MEDIA:
Boat Rocker Media is a global entertainment company that creates, produces and exploits premium media content for all platforms and develops brands and IP for worldwide monetization. Boat Rocker Studios, the content, distribution, and brands arm of the company, consists of the following content groups: Platform One Media, Temple Street, Matador Content, Crooked Horse, Proper, Insight Productions, Boat Rocker Kids & Family, Jam Filled Entertainment, and partnerships with Untitled Entertainment and Industrial Brothers. Boat Rocker Ventures also has investments in Serial Box,
MarcoPolo Learning, the Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club, CAA Creative Labs and Bustle.
A selection of Boat Rocker’s recent projects includes: OrphanBlack (BBC AMERICA, Space), Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network), Iron Chef Canada (Food Network), Killjoys (Syfy, Space), The Amazing Race Canada (CTV), Knight Fight (History), Vintage Tech Hunters (Discovery), X Company (CBC), Masterchef Canada (CTV), The Next Step (Family Channel, CBBC), The Loud House (Nickelodeon), Bitz & Bob (CBeebies) and Danger Mouse (CBBC).
For more information on Boat Rocker Media, please visit www.boatrocker.com and connect via (Twitter) or (Facebook).
ABOUT PLATFORM ONE MEDIA:
Platform One Media is the Los Angeles-based global television production and distribution studio initially formed by TPG Growth’s Evolution Media and Liberty Global. The studio curates, develops, produces, and distributes high-quality scripted programming for the U.S. and international markets. Veteran television executive Katie O’Connell Marsh is the Founder and Chairman and spearheads the company’s activities. For more information, please visit www.platformonemedia.com.
