108 Media (UK) Ltd., the global media, IP, and content investment firm with a key focus on emerging markets, has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in one of Asia-Pacific’s top production companies, Revolution Media. The deal is its first Asian corporate acquisition with a view of a concerted charge across key global markets under 108 Media’s corporate and financing umbrellas in London and Singapore.

As part of 108 Media (UK)’s deeply rooted mandate to establish cross-cultural content bridges through international co-productions and partnerships, the acquisition of Revolution Media, one of Asia’s most active and exciting fully stacked production entities, led by its long-time CEO and respected media veteran Zainir Aminullah, allows for deeper and more expansive turn-key solutions in the region for production, IP acquisition, and distribution.

Founded in 2013, Revolution Media was formerly known as Ideate Media and rebranded as Revolution Media in 2019 after a strategic management buy-out. Since then the company has positioned itself as the most international-facing production entity in Malaysia, having developed and produced world-class series such as DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY and THE GHOST BRIDE for Netflix, as well as blockbuster regional theatrical genre films such as TOMBIROU and MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU. They also count Disney+, Media Prima, Astro-Shaw, WeTV and BBC America as clients and long-term partners.

108 Media (UK) will assume Revolution Media’s current slate and headcount through it’s expansion into the local markets, while investing funds to grow the production company’s current capabilities. This includes further developing and acquiring premium IPs across scripted, as well as building new content stacks into factual and unscripted for brand and ad-sales partnerships.

While affirming Revolution Media’s independent identity and operating culture, it also commits to inject operating resources to upscale its production abilities across APAC through planned partnerships and further corporate acquisitions from its stronghold in Malaysia, where international and local productions enjoy generous tax incentives, a strong talent pool, and a vibrant production locale in the heart of Southeast Asia.

Zainir Aminullah, CEO of Revolution Media, says, “It has always been our ambition to be a key international player and although we’ve had successes in the past, this new path with 108 Media will catapult our slate and realise our original vision. The diversity and depth of stories from the region have always been our root and inspiration, and now we see a clear runway for these stories to reach a global audience”.

Aminullah will work directly with 108 Media’s CEO Abhi Rastogi based in UK and Justin Deimen, President (Production) based in Singapore on corporate alignments and business development across APAC. The deal was negotiated by Rastogi, Deimen, and 108 Media (UK) Finance Director, Eamon Sullivan for 108 Media and with Zainir Aminullah and Chang Sze Wei for Revolution Media.

Abhi Rastogi, CEO of 108 Media, says, “In our continued mission to find and assimilate partners into our unique entertainment ecosystem of being a key player in connecting cultures and cross-border content, we found a terrific creative and corporate synergy with Revolution Media and our established global sales and financing infrastructures that are currently functioning in local and international markets.”

Revolution Media will inherit a robust and premium pre-financed film and television slate from 108 Media, including MRS RAFFLES, a major budget historical drama series to be shot in Malaysia with North American and Asian rights already sold and financed. The partnership will also debut a new look production slate that will be eclectic and culturally diverse which will include both high-profile local and regional films and television projects.

Justin Deimen, President (Production) 108 Media says – “I’ve known Zainir personally for ages and respected all that he’s built with his long-held belief that Asian-led productions and stories have an important place in the global content conversation. He’s set the tone for many young producers here in reaching for higher ground, and I’m genuinely excited to be able to welcome him into the growing 108 Media family to build a bigger platform for the region to be organic co-producers and co-financiers with top-tier media conglomerates across the world.”

These projects will also include international and global-level productions with Revolution Media as a key co-production partner. 108 Media (UK) will function as the studio and financier as well as global sales outfit for the slate which includes titles such as the previously announced globally themed action series I AM VASH, the upcoming UK crime series INSPECTOR SINGH, the WWII drama THE UNDONE YEARS, and a family sports feature film TEN, all targeted to be in production in Q3 2022 into Q2 2023.

In late December 2021, 108 Media (UK) secured a deal which comprised of all DCD Media Plc assets, which included September Films, RIZE USA and DCD Rights, which has a catalogue of more than 3,500 hours of programming across drama, entertainment, factual and music. The deal worth $6.3m (£4.7m), was the first in a series of acquisitions that 108 Media (UK) had earmarked during 2022/2023. Revolution Media is its second acquisition with more strategic corporate alignments lined up in the coming months.