TEDutch producer buys 'Millionaire' firm
Friday, December 1 2006, 11:16 GMT
By Joanne Oatts, Media Correspondent
Dutch producer 2waytraffic has agreed a £106 million deal for Complete Communications Corp, which includes Celador International, Knight Whitehill Productions and The River Studio.
2waytraffic, which was started in 2004 by former Endemol executives, said it would be making Millionaire more interactive, and would look to sell the show into more countries.
Paul Smith, chairman of Celador, who was behind the idea for the hit TV quiz show, said the deal was not purely financial.
"Millionaire is very much our baby, so it was a matter of who would best look after it, share our philosophy and believe in it as passionately as we do. I am confident that company is 2waytraffic. They are a vibrant and ambitious organisation with a vision for the show that incorporates the growing demand for interactive content," he said.
Millionaire first aired in September 1998 on ITV, before going on to be sold to over 100 countries. The programme has become a multi-media franchise with board games, computer games, books, mobile phone quizzes and other licensing deals.
The deal also gives 2waytraffic the rights to Celador's other shows like You Are What You Eat and Mr & Mrs.
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