[Firewire]

Endemol Shine Group has called in the banks to explore a sale – two months after Deadline revealed that the Big Brother superindie was set to be put on the block.

The company, which produces series including Black Mirror, The Biggest Loser, Peaky Blinders and Broadchurch, has hired Deutsche Bank and Liontree, according to CNBC, to explore its options.

It is thought that 21st Century Fox and Apollo Global Management, which currently own 50% each, have both agreed to sell if a buyer is found with reports that a deal could value Endemol Shine between $2.5B and $4B including debt. Fox has reportedly already passed up the opportunity to buy all of the company and has agreed to sell its 50% stake to Disney as part of the Mouse House’s $52B takeover attempt.

In April, Deadline revealed that Apollo had been quietly shopping its stake in the company and that companies including ITV and other superindie production groups had held early-stage discussions about exploring a TV mega-merger. At the time, sources told Deadline that “there’s a lot to play for first” but the chances of Endemol Shine Group being under new ownership in the next twelve months have just risen.

Endemol Shine Group operates production companies in nearly 80 territories. While it is officially based in Amsterdam, under the leadership of CEO Sophie Turner-Laing, its most notable hubs are in the U.S. and UK.

https://deadline.com/2018/06/endemol...le-1202414039/

Not sure what this means entirely for the future of Big Brother, but looks like Disney could own BB... Now there's a thought!