Wednesday 27th September 2023
ENDEAVOR / ASYLUM INVESTS IN MOON&BACK MEDIA, HELMED BY RUSS LINDSAY, DAWN AIREY & NIGEL HALL
DEADLINE: https://deadline.com/2023/09/asylum-entertainment-group-invests-moonback-media-dawn-airey-1235556360/
BROADCAST: https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/indies/dawn-airey-nigel-hall-russ-lindsay-set-up-shop/5186338.article
C21: https://www.c21media.net/news/nigel-hall-dawn-airey-russ-lindsay-launch-uk-prodco-moonback-media-with-asylum-backing/
TBI: https://tbivision.com/2023/09/28/dawn-airey-nigel-hall-russ-lindsay-launch-moonback-media-backed-by-asylum-entertainment/
REALSCREEN: https://realscreen.com/2023/09/27/asylum-entertainment-group-invests-in-new-uk-prodco-moonback-media/
TELEVISUAL: https://www.televisual.com/news/asylum-invests-in-moonback/
FULL PRESS RELEASE:
Emmy® Award-winning production house Asylum Entertainment Group (Asylum), part of Endeavor’s nonscripted content group, today announced an investment in newly launched production company Moon&Back Media.
Based in London, Moon&Back Media was founded by multi-BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Hall (Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!), seasoned broadcast leader Dawn Airey (C4, C5, ITV, Sky) and premier talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell).
Hall, Lindsay and Airey – longtime collaborators with rich and varied experience, skills and relationships – reunited to launch the company to create talent-driven international formats. The stake offers Moon&Back access to Asylum's global portfolio while expanding Asylum’s footprint into the UK.
“This past year, we’ve been focused on aligning with inspired storytellers, including producers, artists and brands, to carve new opportunities that will entertain and inform our audiences,” says Steve Michaels, Chief Executive Officer of Asylum. “Nigel, Dawn and Russ offer a wealth of diverse experience; they’re incredibly esteemed visionaries who are committed to excellence in their craft.”
Hall’s success is highlighted by his work as former Head of Light Entertainment at ITV, creating hits like Celebrity Stars in their Eyes, You’ve Been Framed and Saturday Night Takeaway. Later, Lindsay – who, as co-founder of UK-based talent agency James Grant (YMU), had been managing top-tier talent – pulled in Hall to forge Syco Entertainment with Simon Cowell. As Managing Director, Hall co-created, formatted and executive produced the two biggest formats in the last 20 years: the UK and global versions of The X Factor and the Got Talent franchise. Through Hall’s stewardship, The X Factor spawned local versions in 56 countries while Got Talent currently airs in more than 190 international territories.
Lindsay also co-founded Talent Bank, which bridges the entertainment industry’s preeminent talent with a sophisticated network of digital broadcast platforms. Airey’s television career is punctuated by her roles as Controller of Arts & Ent at Channel 4, CEO of Channel 5 and Managing Director of Sky Channels and ITV Productions. Drawing on immense experience in the global digital space, Airey also served as SVP of Yahoo! and CEO of Getty Images.
“We share the same values, business acumen and ambition as the team at Asylum, and we’re confident that our combined imaginations will empower us to create the very best unscripted content to entertain, surprise and delight audiences around the world,” says Dawn Airey, co-founder of Moon&Back.
Most recently, the company solidified first-look deals with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and his Comandante Productions, as well as the New York Post. Last year, Asylum acquired Austin-based Texas Crew Productions (How I Caught My Killer).
About Asylum Entertainment Group
Launched by multi-award-winning producer Steve Michaels, Asylum Entertainment Group is the parent company to Texas Crew Productions, Big City TV (Lori Rothschild Ansaldi) Breaklight Pictures (Dan Johnstone) and Audity. Asylum has produced a diverse slate of television long-form, features, documentaries and unscripted series, including launching ESPN’s Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning series 30 for 30 and the Emmy® Award-winning limited series The Kennedys, starring Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear. Other titles include Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, American Cartel, King of the Con, Doubling Down with the Derricos, Sins of the Amish and How I Caught My Killer. The company has first-look deals with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and his Comandante Productions as well as the New York Post. Asylum is part of Endeavor’s nonscripted content group.
About Moon&Back Media
Moon&Back Media is a partnership between Nigel Hall, Dawn Airey and Russ Lindsay borne out of a longstanding relationship at the highest level of the global television industry, where the three multi award winning founders have been launching talent, creating IP and producing / commissioning the world’s most successful television shows for over three decades. Dawn, Nigel and Russ remained great friends throughout and in 2022 felt compelled to come together as a formidable new force in what they call “the most exciting time in modern broadcast”.
Utilising Nigel’s exceptional creative prowess, Dawn’s global experience in traditional television and digital exploitation, Russ’s extensive knowledge of IP creation and marketing, and their combined relationships with the very best broadcast talent, they have combined their unique skills once again.
