Qatar Investment Authority injects $150m in film and TV studio North Road

Film and TV studio The North Road Company has secured a $150m from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).

The North Road Company, a global, multi-genre studio launched in 2022, has received an $150m investment from QIA to bolster its ongoing expansion strategies. This investment supplements North Road’s significant growth capital reserves, building upon the capital base provided at its launch, including up to $500m from longtime Chernin partner Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. and $300m in debt financing from Apollo. The announcement was made today by Peter Chernin.

QIA’s investment enables North Road to capitalise further on the growing demand for premium, independent content. Building on the support from Providence Equity, we have already been able to bring together some of the highest-quality suppliers of film and TV content, led by some of the best creative executives in the business. This investment fuels our continuing strategy to expand via organic and inorganic growth initiatives globally,” said Peter Chernin, North Road CEO. 

“QIA is delighted to support the expansion of the North Road Company, a market-leading media firm,” said Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, QIA’s Chief Investment Officer of Americas. “This investment underpins our strategy to invest in innovative media and technology companies around the world and advances our long-term partnership with The Chernin Group.” 

“QIA is a valued, long-term partner, and we look forward to working with them alongside Peter and the North Road team. We continue to see a tremendous opportunity in a fragmented industry to build a leading global, independent content studio, and this additional capital will help us in our plans to continue to aggressively grow North Road and pursue strategic acquisitions,” said Davis Noell, Senior Managing Director of Providence Equity Partners, North Road’s lead investor.

With initial investments from Providence and Apollo, North Road launched by combining top production companies across rapidly growing market segments under a shared banner. Chernin Entertainment, the longtime scripted film and TV powerhouse behind the PLANET OF THE APES trilogy, FORD V FERRARI, HIDDEN FIGURES, and New Girl, was joined in the portfolio by premium documentary outfit Words + Pictures, founded by the creators of 30 for 30, The Last Dance, and O.J.: Made in America.

North Road also includes unscripted leaders such as Kinetic Content, Left Right Productions and 44 Blue, whose megahits include Love Is Blind, The Ultimatum, Married at First Sight, and The Circus; and a London-based international division focused on global acquisitions and co-productions, led by top executives Jan Frouman and Kristin Jones. 

North Road currently has over 85 active productions in the works, including a new season of popular titles such as Love is Blind, LUTHER, starring Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, and Andy Serkis, which will premiere on Netflix this spring, and a new season of Apple TV+'s Truth be Told, starring Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.