Global distribution group, Blue Ant International, announced that it has acquired 100% ownership of UK-based Drive Media Rights. The deal represents Blue Ant International’s ongoing expansion in the UK and the distributor’s commitment to growing its pre-sale capacity while supercharging the distributor’s network within the creative community. As part of the deal, Drive’s Managing Directors Ben Barrett and Lilla Hurst will now join Blue Ant International as Global Head of Content Financing & Partnerships and Global Head of Acquisitions & Partnerships, respectively. Barrett and Hurst will continue to operate from London (UK) and will report to Solange Attwood, EVP, Blue Ant International.

Launched in 2013, Drive was founded as a production funding (pre-sale) house and evolved into a 360 global funding, sales and distribution business. Joining forces with Blue Ant International, they will continue to offer a full range of commercial services, working with producers around the world to get their projects funded, produced and distributed.

“As the media ecosystem evolves, a distribution partner that can bring meaningful financing, allowing our partners to realize their creative ambitions, is paramount. Our combined expertise and relationships with Ben and Lilla should help our partners to do more of just that!” said Solange Attwood, EVP, Blue Ant International.

“We’re incredibly proud of what we and our team have achieved with Drive over the last nine years and we’re excited to become part of a larger organization. Blue Ant Media consists of top quality content producers, established channels and a thriving distribution business, all of which will provide new levels of opportunity and relationships, allowing us to seamlessly grow the combined business,” said Ben Barrett and Lilla Hurst.

As part of this deal, Blue Ant International has acquired Drive Media Rights’ library of over 900 hours of content. This offering consists mainly of unscripted programming, with genres spanning documentary, history, science, crime, lifestyle and paranormal. This will bring Blue Ant International’s offering to almost 5000 hours of programming now available to broadcasters and streamers around the globe. Drive’s roster of production clients includes October Films, Oxford Films, Blink Films, Air TV and Future Studios.

Blue Ant International is a leading worldwide distributor of high-quality, creative content that engages audiences worldwide and across multiple platforms. The company offers a full-service approach to production partners with sales operations in the U.S., UK and Canada. Blue Ant International has a growing slate of over 4,900 hours of premium content, including distinctive series and formats in five key genres including factual entertainment, specialist factual, high-impact documentaries, kids and family, and scripted. Blue Ant International also has one of the world’s largest offerings of 4K natural history content. Blue Ant International is a division of Blue Ant Media.