‘Salvage Hunters’ Producer Curve Appoints Advisory To Assess Options

EXCLUSIVE: Salvage Hunters producer Curve Media is gearing up for new investment after appointing specialist advisory firm GothamStreet to explore its strategic options, we’ve learned. It’s understood the UK indie is expecting to double its revenues this year and wants to capitalize on its position in the factual market.

Dane Phillips of London-based advisory GothamStreet is overseeing the process and Deadline understands that he has spoken to several potential partners, as Curve considers a range of options. These could result in a strategic partnership, private equity investment, bank debt raise or a company sale, though the latter option isn’t thought to be favored.

The process is in the early stages but whatever path is agreed, Curve wants to ensure it can capitalize on its position in the burgeoning UK unscripted market, and that continued growth will be at the forefront of any agreement.

Curve’s turnover for 2021 was £12.4m ($15.6m), according to Companies House documents and Deadline understands revenues are expected to double to around £25M in 2022. Curve’s management team currently owns a majority stake in the business, with BBC Studios holding a 25% shareholding.

Factual-focused Curve is best known globally for Discovery’s long-running Salvage Hunters franchise and lauded BBC doc series Our Dementia Choir, which featured Line of Duty star Vicky McClure. It recently scored a significant order for The Greatest Auction through the Channel 4 Global Format Fund and produces a range of returning shows that also includes Smithsonian’s How Did They Build That? and Channel 5’s Ambulance: Code Red. The indie has made shows for all UK terrestrial broadcasters and several international streamers, having launched in 2014 after founders Rob Carey and Camilla Lewis exited senior posts at Cineflix Media’s British arm.

Sources have stressed that Curve chiefs Lewis and Carey will remain in charge of the operation whatever the outcome of the process. They have significant plans to grow the indie, which is known for its high-volume factual series, particularly as they push into shorter-run doc series and high-profile singles often favoured by streamers — with Head of Premium Sunshine Jackson having several projects close to greenlight.

Carey, a former Mentorn Media exec, is known for overseeing and creating shows such as American Pickers, Air Crash Investigation and Property Brothers, while former BBC specialist factual executive producer and Fremantle factual features head Lewis has overseen series such as Great British Railway Journeys, Escape to the Country and Grand Designs and is behind shows such as Claimed and Shame, Help My House is a Zoo and Trauma Doctors.

They paired up to create Curve after leaving Cineflix, where Carey was Global Creative Director and Lewis was UK Managing Director. While at Cineflix, they won an Emmy for entertainment format Pet School.

The development comes against a backdrop of a growing, highly consolidated UK factual market. Plimsoll Productions is reportedly selling to ITV Studios after previously taking private equity backing from LDC in 2019 but few other major transactions have taken place in recent years. Many notable companies already part of larger groups such as Banijay, All3Media, ITV Studios and Fremantle, or are happy to remain independent.

GothamStreet’s recent deals in the factual market include advising Combat Dealers producer Wag Entertainment on its sale to France’s Asacha Media Group in February last year and UK factual distributor BossaNova when it sold to Germany’s Night Train Media a few months later.

Curve and Gotham Street declined to comment.