Bell Media and Grandé Studios Increase Commitment to Québec Content Creation Through New Partnership
– Bell Media expands its industry-leading content production role with a minority investment in Grandé Studios, a Montréal-based multipurpose TV, film, and equipment company –
MONTRÉAL (November 18, 2020) – Bell Media and Grandé Studios announced today a new partnership that will bring increased resources to Québec’s French-language content creation and production communities. Bell Media has acquired a minority investment in the Montréal-based company, which provides production facilities, camera and lighting equipment rentals in Montréal and Toronto, and technical services to the local and international TV and film production industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Grandé Studios facilities have already been home to several Bell Media original productions including TRANSPLANT, LA SEMAINE DES 4 JULIE, and the Crave Original Film The Song of Names, in addition to several Hollywood blockbuster movie productions such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Jack Ryan, and Moonfall, one of the biggest productions currently filming in Canada.
“When we started out, Andrew Lapierre, Mitsou Gélinas, Paul Hurteau and I dreamed of one day having a complete service offering that would rival with the big ones and the construction of Grandé Studios was a crucial step in achieving this vision,” explained Iohann Martin, President, Grandé Studios. “This partnership with Bell Media is a source of pride. Together, we are committed to contributing to the influence of creators here and across the country.”
“This partnership accelerates Bell Media’s ongoing commitment to the Québec economy and increases our ability to help bring more Québécois content to market,” said Karine Moses, Bell’s Vice Chair, Québec, and President, Bell Media Québec. “With their real estate, Grandé Studios has the opportunity to meet the increased demand for production facilities in Montréal, and we look forward to working with creators to increase the number of productions in the city.”
The partnership with Grandé Studios is just one of Bell Media’s many recent investments in Canada’s French-language film and television industry, including the acquisition of conventional channel V, recently rebranded as Noovo, and the addition of French-language content to Crave, the leading Canadian subscription streaming service.
Grandé Studios facilities have already been home to several Bell Media original productions including TRANSPLANT, LA SEMAINE DES 4 JULIE, and the Crave Original Film The Song of Names, in addition to several Hollywood blockbuster movie productions such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Jack Ryan, and Moonfall, one of the biggest productions currently filming in Canada.
“When we started out, Andrew Lapierre, Mitsou Gélinas, Paul Hurteau and I dreamed of one day having a complete service offering that would rival with the big ones and the construction of Grandé Studios was a crucial step in achieving this vision,” explained Iohann Martin, President, Grandé Studios. “This partnership with Bell Media is a source of pride. Together, we are committed to contributing to the influence of creators here and across the country.”
“This partnership accelerates Bell Media’s ongoing commitment to the Québec economy and increases our ability to help bring more Québécois content to market,” said Karine Moses, Bell’s Vice Chair, Québec, and President, Bell Media Québec. “With their real estate, Grandé Studios has the opportunity to meet the increased demand for production facilities in Montréal, and we look forward to working with creators to increase the number of productions in the city.”
The partnership with Grandé Studios is just one of Bell Media’s many recent investments in Canada’s French-language film and television industry, including the acquisition of conventional channel V, recently rebranded as Noovo, and the addition of French-language content to Crave, the leading Canadian subscription streaming service.About Groupe Dazmo and Grandé Studios
Founded in 1997 by Iohann Martin, Mitsou Gélinas and Andrew Lapierre, Groupe Dazmo is a multidisciplinary Montréal company working in the film, television and advertising industry. The convergence of its subsidiaries, Grandé Studios, Grandé Camera and Dazmo, allows the company to offer a wide range of creative and technical services. The business model focuses on all-in-one rental, offering rental of studio space and equipment for filming, music and sound design, as well as pre and post-production. Grandé Studios, camera, lighting offers all types of structures for provincial, national and international television and film productions in both Montréal and Toronto.
About Bell Media in Québec
Bell Media is a leading content creation company with premier assets in Québec in television, radio, digital media, out-of-home, and more. Bell Media operates a number of French-language TV services in Québec including Noovo (with five corporate-owned local stations, three network affiliates, and Noovo.ca), as well as eight specialty and pay TV services – Canal D, Canal Vie, Z, VRAK, Investigation, SUPER ÉCRAN, Cinépop, and RDS, Québec’s #1 sports channel. Bell Media currently has three of the Top 5 most-watched shows on French Entertainment Specialty in key demos, including six of the Top 10 original productions. Bell Media also operates CTV Montreal (the #1 English news outlet in Québec), and develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news, sports, and entertainment brands, including RDS Direct. Bell Media owns Crave, the only Canadian bilingual video streaming service, offering more than 6,000 hours of exclusive French-language content. Bell Media is Québec’s leading radio broadcaster, with 25 stations in 13 communities, all part of the iHeartRadio Canada brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Montréal-based Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at BellMedia.ca.
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