Houlihan Lokey Advises Lux Vide

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Lux Vide, Italy’s leading independent television production company, has sold a 70% stake in the company to Fremantle, one of the world’s largest and most successful creators, producers, and distributors of premium content. The transaction closed on 3 March 2022.

Launched in 1992, Lux Vide has established itself as one of Italy’s most prestigious and successful high-quality producers, with over 1,300 hours of prime-time original scripted content viewed in 144 countries worldwide. Over three decades, Lux Vide has rapidly grown to become a prolific production and development powerhouse, creating distinctive premium scripted content and delivering consistent commercial success both domestically and internationally, with deals including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Sky. Lux Vide owns five state-of-the-art studios, based outside Rome, making it the only independent Italian television production studio with over 6,000 square metres of set space.

Fremantle is one of the world’s largest and most successful creators, producers, and distributors of entertainment, drama and film, and documentaries, operating in 26 territories. Fremantle produces and delivers high-quality multigenre IP, including some of the biggest entertainment formats, most watched international dramas, award-winning films, and hard-hitting documentaries, amplifying local stories on a global scale.

The acquisition of Lux Vide forms part of Fremantle’s wider international growth strategy to invest in premium production companies, content creators, and talent from around the world—developing and securing original formats and unmissable IP. Luca Bernabei will continue as CEO of Lux Vide, the company founded in 1992 by Ettore and Matilde Bernabei. Under the deal, the Bernabei family will retain the remaining 30 percent.

Houlihan Lokey served as the financial advisor to Lux Vide. This most recent transaction further strengthens Houlihan Lokey’s exceptional track record in the media production space, most recently including the sale of Bad Wolf to Sony Pictures and the sale of Drama Republic to Mediawan & Leonine Studios.