Skybound EntertainmentThe multiplatform studio behind world franchises like The Walking Dead and hundreds of intellectual property, announced the acquisition of Maple support From Shamrock Capital.
Maple Media is a leader in the publication of mobile applications and has a diversified portfolio of “TOP 10” applications through the productivity, entertainment and lifestyle categories that have generated more than 600 million lifetime downloads.
The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Acquisitions become the norm in games. But that’s the kind of thing you can do if you have The Walking Dead Franchise, which made its debut as a comic strip by Creator Robert Kirkman In 2003. It is the most successful original entertainment franchise created this century, according to Hernan Lopez, founder of Owl & Co. Skybound also has impact Winter and Invincible.
The games alone have generated more than a billion dollars in revenues, and the Netlix show attracted 1.3 billion hours of viewing in 2023, said Lopez in an interview with Gamesbeat. And during this year, it was the third most watched television series – 13 years after the launch of the television show. In 2010, Kirkman launched Skybound Entertainment with David Alpert.
This acquisition improves the scope of Skybound by adding the stable and recurring base of income and Maple Media subscribers, the management technology of proprietary applications and direct relations with consumers. Maple Media’s applications and services are an integral part of the millions of user’s monthly routines to get things done and have fun, which extends the public of Skybound, the scope of consumers and commitment.
In addition, the partnership with Maple Media facilitates a direct relationship between Skybound and consumers, improving Skybound’s ability to provide incredible content from creators to fans.
The expertise of Maple Media in operations and the optimization of mobile applications supports Skybound’s mission to provide convincing stories on each platform and medium, comics and television games, mobile devices and beyond.
“Bringing Maple Media into the Skybound universe is a change of game,” said David Alpert, CEO of Skybound Entertainment, in a statement. “This allows us to connect our great intellectual property directly to our audience. We are impatient to build and expand these opportunities with Michael Ritter, founder and CEO, David Bos, COO, and the rest of the Maple media team, because the partnership strengthens our ability to connect the content directly to an audience like Never before. Together, we unlock new ways to deliver to our creators and fans while remaining faithful to our mission to put them first. »»
By integrating the Maple Media team, the managers of the experienced entertainment industry and its solid suite of tools, Skybound is positioned to evolve its mobile presence while exploring new entertainment applications, taking advantage of Podcast capacities , play and distribution of content from Maple Media, among others.
“We are delighted to join the Skybound Entertainment family and to bring our expertise in mobile applications to a company that shares our passion for engaging and significant content,” said Michael Ritter, CEO and founder of Maple Media, in a press release . “This partnership not only strengthens Maple Media’s capacity to evolve and innovate, but also opens up new exciting opportunities to integrate the emblematic intellectual property of Skybound in the mobile space. Together, we look forward to creating unique and impactful experiences for millions of users worldwide. »»
Skybound is the company focused on creators and focusing on fans behind worldwide franchises Landmark like The Walking Dead, invincible, Winter Impact and hundreds of other IPs that redefine entertainment through its impressive commercial model wheel.
Skybound unlocks the unique opportunity to cultivate all aspects of a development deductible for distribution; Our IP connects with the public through revolutionary stories told on a large scale. We allow our creators to extend their IP directly and transform their ideas into films, television shows, table games, comics, podcasts, collectibles, video games or all of the above, then some.
Clover capital is an investment company based in Los Angeles with approximately $ 6.4 billion in assets under management. Shamrock Capital is investing exclusively in the media, entertainment, communications and related sectors thanks to a multi-world strategy focused on investment in investment, as well as on the property and financing of the content and the rights of the media. The company was initially founded in 1978 as a family investment company for the late Roy E. Disney and has since become a supported institutional company with a leading group of investors, in particular allocations, foundations and funds sovereigns and pension funds.
I asked questions to Alpert. In a message, he said, there are 150 people at Skybound and 24 in Maple Media. How many people in total in Skybound?
Maple Media was founded in 2016 with the aim of acquiring, managing and setting up mobile applications in the categories of games, productivity and lifestyle. The company specializes in the optimization of applications established with solid user bases, improving monetization strategies and long -term growth through operational efficiency and data -based improvements. Their approach focuses on the maintenance and improvement of applications performance while taking advantage of advertising revenues, subscriptions and integrated purchases.
I was wondering if they were playing games. Alpert noted Maple Media operates mobile games in the genres of occasional casino, action and social, in addition to the podcast and other mobile entertainment lifestyle applications.
“Our acquisition was motivated by the opportunity to strengthen direct connection to Skybound (DTC) consumers, to expand the annual recurring income potential (ARR) and other global construction opportunities for Skybound IP” , said Alpert.
He noted: “Maple Media will support the acquisition of users while offering strategic advantages in technological property, monetization and direct commitment to consumers – a bit like our approach with creators.”
Disclosure: I have family workNG in Skybound.