Peppa Pig’s Spielberg tie-up

PEPPA Pig owner Entertainment One has joined forces with Steven Spielberg to launch a new film company as it moves towards its goal of doubling in size, writes Emily Davies.

The venture will see the film group add Spain, Australia and New Zealand to its list of distribution countries, which already includes Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Entertainment One’s chief executive, Darren Throop, has said it is aiming to double in size by 2020. The group (up 5.40p to 176.10p) has had a rollercoaster month on the stock market, with its shares falling by more than a third after it announced a refinancing deal of £285m at an interest rate of 6.875pc.

And while its business sees strong revenues from its Peppa Pig operations, which includes distribution and licensing deals, its performance is weaker in other areas. The group’s film sales dropped 22pc in the six months to September 30, and it produced 38 fewer films compared with the same period last year.

The new company, called Amblin Partners, will distribute DreamWorks films and have operations in licensing, merchandise and television production.

Its other partners will include Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group and Participant Media, and it is expected to distribute up to eight films per year, and one television show.

The announcement did not disclose financial details, but Entertainment One is expected to hold a ‘small’ equity stake in the new company.

Throop said: ‘This long-term partnership builds on the successful output relationship between eOne and DreamWorks.’