Simon Cowell’s Syco strikes $125 million got talent securitization deal

Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment has struck a ground-breaking $125 million securitisation deal based on intellectual property in its Got Talent franchise.

The Got Talent franchise includes America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent formats that have been commissioned in 72 territories worldwide.

Syco plans to use the $125 million war-chest to grow its business through a mixture of strategic acquisitions and organic growth projects.

Syco was advised on the deal by media and entertainment investment bank, ACF.

The securitisation approach involved a structure for the Got Talent format more commonly applied to the music-industry’s royalty income streams.

The deal is billed as the first of its kind as it includes securitisation of various aspects of the Got Talent Intellectual Property, which comprise production margins and fees, digital income, franchise and original content sales, and sponsorship income.

American global asset manager Nuveen securitised the whole proposition.

Founded by Simon Cowell, Syco is a holding company that includes his ownership share in the Got Talent television format through its subsidiary, Maidmetal Limited.

Thomas Dey, ACF’s Founder and CEO, said: “Our brief was to create a structure to enable the company to maximise the full potential of its existing passive royalty income stream. We are certain that this ground-breaking structure will be one that we will use for many media formats in the future.” IBC