eONE CRANKS THE AUDIO

Audio Network's Andrew Sunnucks and Robb Smith, on the left, stay calm and think about the new Jaguars they'll be buying after selling the company to eOne's Darren Throop and Chris Taylor.

Entertainment One will acquire the U.K.-based Audio Network, one of the world’s largest independent creators and publishers of original music for use in film, television, advertising and digital media, for approximately $215m.

Audio Network has nine offices around the world and relationships with more than 1000 composers, singer-songwriters and emerging commercial artists. The acquisition is intended to enrich eOne’s integrated partner offering and generate more monetization opportunities for eOne commercial artists through relationship-based sync placements.

The combination of eOne’s front-end commercial artist catalogue and Audio Network’s extensive premium production music creates a one-stop solution for business customers seeking high-quality music,” said eOne President and CEO Darren Throop.

Robert Hurst and Andrew Sunnucks founded Audio Network in 2001 and has built a catalog of more than 150k tracks. The company’s music is featured in everything from television productions to user-generated content on digital and social platforms.

“In joining eOne, we are becoming part of an incredible global entertainment family and will have the continued opportunity to create and record the world’s best music and share it globally,” said Sunnucks.

“Their platform-agnostic content strategy, combined with an alignment of culture, values and vision for the future of the business, make eOne an ideal partner for our teams around the world,” added CEO Robb Smith. “This is going to be game-changing.”