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GRB Media Ranch Closes Licensing Deal with Cote Ouest at MIPCOM
: GRB Media Ranch Co-Principals, Gary R. Benz and Sophie Ferron announced that they closed a licensing deal at MIPCOM for three popular titles from the Icons Unearthed series from the GRB Media Ranch catalog with Cote Ouest (now part of Mediawan). Liz Levenson, GRB’s Distribution and Acquisitions Executive for Africa, CEE, Middle East ( finished programs & formats), and Scandinavia (finished programming) brokered the deal for GRB Media Ranch. GRB Media Ranch is located at MIPCOM Stand: # R7. A16
Created in 1997, Côte Ouest joined Mediawan Africa in May 2023, the African flagship of the Mediawan Group, a leading independent European studio producing audiovisual content and has partnered with GRB Studios in the past, this is their first deal with the new JV – GRB Media Ranch
– Icons Unearthed: Fast & Furious What should have been a one-off popcorn summer flick followed by a straight-to-video sequel became one of the largest film franchises of all time. Worth billions of dollars in ticket sales, it has spawned merchandise, spin-offs, and theme park attractions, and put a series of increasingly amazing stunts on the world’s movie screens. Despite the loss of a beloved lead actor, the franchise is a masterclass in world-building, raising the stakes, and growing a truly dedicated fan base internationally
– Icons Unearthed: Star Wars: Travel to a time not very far, far away and witness the creation and filming of George Lucas’s two Star Wars trilogies. Interviews with cast and crew leave no stone unturned, making it the definitive account of the space saga that changed movies forever
– Icons Unearthed: Marvel The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most successful franchise of all time and it has changed the way movies are made. Taking a cue from their comic book source material, these films tell different characters’ stories that all take place in one massive, interwoven universe. Each film would introduce one key protagonist, building toward the release of one giant blockbuster, The Avengers, that would put them all together. If a single one of those films failed at the box office, it could derail what may be the biggest gamble ever taken in the history of cinema. How did Marvel pull it off
– Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons — The Simpsons has reached television and film audiences around the world. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are household names and the series’ impact on comedy writing, animation, and pop culture is felt to this day. Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons takes us on an insightful journey from the original two-minute shorts to its status as the longest-running scripted primetime television series of all time. Not even lawsuits, creative disputes, and production changes have been able to stop this animation juggernaut
Gary R. Benz stated: “GRB Media Ranch is operating both our sales, and acquisitions, work at full speed since our launch just 6 weeks ago! These deals represent a sampling of the great programs we offer. We are booked solid with meetings at MIPCOM with our partners to bring them even more fantastic programs.”
Sophie Ferron added: “We are thrilled with these deals for some of our best programs and also have them available for other territories. Gary and I are looking forward to having our full sale teams together for the first time at MIPCOM and, as our motto says, “…we’ve got stories” – over 5,000 hours of them!”
CEO of Cote Ouest, Jonathan Lett stated “Cote Ouest, now part of Mediawan, is thrilled to work with these ICONS UNEARTHED titles, and we value the longstanding relationship we’ve had with GRB, now GRB Media Ranch, over the years. We are so excited to share these titles with audiences in Africa and as both our companies evolve, look forward to exploring exciting new ways to work together.”
In the Fall of 2023, GRB Studios and Media Ranch joined the distribution arms of their globally respected brands to create one powerful entity. Distributing over 5,000 hours of premium entertainment — from factual to fiction to formats, GRB Media Ranch offers a comprehensive approach to marketing of programming. Based in Los Angeles, the two principals, Gary R. Benz, and Sophie Ferron, bring varied expertise and ingenuity to the company. Active at most global events, they have far-reaching contacts and trend-knowledge, which they have shared as sought-after industry speakers. The new, merged portfolio includes Untold Stories of the E.R.; Icons Unearthed series: The Simpsons, Marvel, Star Wars, etc.; On the Case; and over 100 formats, including Round Table from Wonwoo Park (creator of Masked Singer), Watch, and hits such as Surprise sur prise, Comedy on the Edge, Rose D’or winning Street Jungle, and more. GRB Studios’ production work includes Emmy Award-winning hit Intervention. Media Ranch’s creative format development includes paper format acquisitions and incubator Horsepower. Both companies will continue these activities under their respective banners
GRB Media Ranch PR contact: (Ms.) MJ Sorenson, CEO of MJ Global Communications LLC
mj@mjglobalcommunications.com T: +1-917-386-7569 New York, NY
About Cote Ouest
Created in 1997, Côte Ouest joined Mediawan Africa in May 2023, the African flagship of the Mediawan Group, a leading independent European studio producing audiovisual content. Based in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Ebène (Mauritius), the company is the foremost African distributor of audiovisual content. Initially specializing in distributing Hollywood majors’ content in Africa and later South American telenovelas, Côte Ouest now offers the largest African catalog with nearly 22,000 hours of content across all genres, including soap operas, series, films, documentaries, animation, and more.
In addition to its distribution activities, Côte Ouest also houses Studio 1, an integrated dubbing studio that allows them to offer their programs outside their original region. Lastly, Côte Ouest is also a content broadcaster, operating Nina Novelas, the first French-language channel dedicated to telenovelas, offering 1,400 hours of programming annually through linear broadcasting, catch-up (MyNina), SVOD, and social media platforms. Additionally, Côte Ouest owns Short, a premium short-format VOD platform available on Orange and MTN
Icons Unearthed: Fast & Furious
