Entertainment Capital Advisors, a specialist media and entertainment strategic and financial advisory firm, has launched with the aim of advising growth companies and companies wishing
Entertainment Capital Advisors, a specialist media and entertainment strategic and financial advisory firm, has launched with the aim of advising growth companies and companies wishing to divest or acquire others in the entertainment sector.
It is looking to raise between USD500m and USD1bn of capital for these companies over the next three years.
ECA will provide strategic advisory and corporate finance advice to a range of entertainment companies in the film, TV and music sectors.
The company has already been formally engaged to advise on a number of projects across Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, including: a USD200m private placement for a family-run Middle East fund, which will invest in major international film projects; advising a major UK-based international film sales, distribution and marketing company on corporate strategy and a capital raising; and enabling a Japanese film production company to execute projects on the international stage.
The firm is co-founded by Premila Hoon OBE, the former global head of media and entertainment structured finance at Société Générale.
ECA will be identifying and developing companies with high investment potential from around the world that have strong underlying business models, and are seeking specialist expertise to enable them to grow to the next level.
The company is owned by management and Aramid Asset Management, a UK based asset manager active in the media sector. The principal investors in Aramid Asset Management are Stonehenge Capital Company, a US specialty finance firm and Future Capital Partners, a UK based alternative investment boutique.
Hoon says: ‘The film industry has been remarkably resilient through the recession. However, recent macroeconomic events have led to a fundamental shift in the way entertainment projects are going to be financed. ECA will adapt to this environment by using the extensive experience of its executives to create innovative, bespoke financing solutions for companies across the entertainment sector. There are unique opportunities in the sector which in areas continue to experience high levels of growth, for example box office revenues rose by 3.8 per cent in 2008 despite the economic downturn, and are expected to rise by 4.4 per cent in 2009 to USD29.5bn.’
