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Blue Ant Media

Canadian broadcasting and media company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blue Ant Media
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Blue Ant Media Corporation is an international streaming, production, and distribution company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The company operates a diverse portfolio of free streaming and pay TV channels internationally, including Love Nature, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel Canada, BBC, Earth Canada, HauntTV, Homeful, and Love Pets, as well as the global SVOD service MagellanTV. Its studio business produces and distributes a wide range of premium content across key genres for streaming and broadcast platforms worldwide. Blue Ant Media is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Los Angeles, New YorK, Miami, Sydney, Halifax, and Ottawa.

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Blue Ant Media was formed in 2011 by former Alliance Atlantis executive Michael MacMillan; the company's first investment was the acquisition of a 29.9% minority stake in specialty broadcaster Glassbox Television—owner of specialty networks such as AUX, Bite TV and Travel + Escape—with the option to increase this to a 75% controlling stake pending CRTC approval.[1] MacMillan explained that his goal for the company was to be a producer and distributor of content across multiple platforms, and "not just have individual pieces of content" but be "deep experts" in niche markets with advertiser appeal (such as music, comedy, and travel).[1][2] Glassbox founder Jeffery Elliott was retained as Blue Ant's head of television and digital, joined by former Glassbox CEO Raja Khanna.[3]

On December 21, 2011, Blue Ant Media announced that it had entered into an agreement to purchase specialty broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV;[4] the company subsequently announced a 25% investment by Torstar.[5] Blue Ant initially purchased 29.9% of the company, with the remaining 70.1% acquired following CRTC approval. The acquisition was completed on August 1, 2012.[6][7] At this time, Jeffrey Elliott departed the company, and was succeeded by former Glassbox CEO Raja Khanna as head of television and digital.[3]

On August 17, 2012, Blue Ant Media announced that it would be purchasing the specialty channel Bold from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for an undisclosed amount, conditional on government approval.[8] After initially purchasing a 15% minority stake in Canadian publishing company Quarto Communications in the summer of 2011,[9] Blue Ant Media purchased the remaining shares in the company in December 2012, which had been renamed Cottage Life Media.[10]

In April 2014, the company purchased a minority stake in the digital media company and multi-channel network Omnia Media.[11] In November 2014, the company bought a majority stake in Choice TV, marking their first international expansion.[12][13][14] In December 2015, Blue Ant Media and Smithsonian Networks teamed to launch Blue Skye Entertainment, a new UK-based company exclusively focused on 4K content.[15]

In December 2016, Blue Ant partnered with BBC Worldwide to relaunch radX as BBC Earth.[16]

In May 2017, Blue Ant Media bought the Asia-Pacific broadcaster Racat Group, including factual producer NHNZ, Singapore-based studio Beach House Pictures, Sydney-based Northern Pictures, developer Runaway Play, and a majority stake in ZooMoo. The purchase was considered to be complementary to the Blue Ant's factual and nature-oriented programming.[17][18][19]

Expansion and acquisitions (2018–2024)

In February 2018, Omnia Media was renamed Blue Ant Digital Studios, coinciding with the launch of several new original series on Facebook Watch, and an accompanying expansion beyond video gaming content.[20] In October 2018, Blue Ant acquired the Toronto-based Saloon Media.[21]

In October 2020, Blue Ant Media announced its acquisition of the Canadian technology news website MobileSyrup.[22]

In December 2020, Blue Ant entered the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) market by launching HauntTV, a channel devoted to horror and supernatural programming, on The Roku Channel in Canada.[23] It has since launched several additional FAST channels in Canada and the United States; including CrimeTime, TotalCrime, Homeful, and HistoryTime.[24][25][26][27]

In 2020, Blue Ant Media sold its Asian linear networks aside from Love Nature, including Blue Ant Entertainment, Blue Ant Extreme, and ZooMoo, to Rock Entertainment Holdings, a new company led by Blue Ant's then-head of Global Networks & Kids Ward Platt.[28]

In February 2021, Blue Ant Media sold its majority stake in New Zealand factual production company NHNZ to producer Julie Christie. It was rebranded as NHNZ Worldwide, with Blue Ant Media retaining a 45% stake in the rebranded company and continuing to own NHNZ's catalogue.[29]

In March 2021, Blue Ant expanded its partnership with BBC Studios, relaunching Treasure HD as BBC First. The channel is a de facto successor to Corus Entertainment's BBC Canada; that channel had originally been founded by Alliance Atlantis, where Blue Ant founder Michael MacMillan had been an executive.[30][31]

In June 2022, Blue Ant Media acquired British distribution company Drive Media Rights and its library, with Blue Ant folding Drive Media Rights into its distribution arm Blue Ant International. Its founders Ben Barrett and Lilla Hurst also joined the company.[32] Two months later in September, Blue Ant Media announced their acquisition of CTV marketplace company Media Pulse, which became a standalone unit within the company.[33] In January 2023, Blue Ant partnered with World of Wonder on a U.S. FAST channel devoted to international versions of RuPaul's Drag Race.[34]

In August 2023, Blue Ant announced its acquisition of Canadian production company MarbleMedia, and plans to merge their studio operations (aside from Blue Ant's Singaporean subsidiary Beach House Pictures) into a single division; the acquisition would increase Blue Ant's involvement in scripted content.[35]

In February 2024, Blue Ant sold a majority stake in its Singaporian production outfit Beach House Pictures to Fremantle.[36] In June 2024, Blue Ant sold MobileSyrup to ZoomerMedia.[37] In August 2024, Blue Ant sold its digital brand Animalogic to Toronto-based digital media company UnderKnown.[38]

Acquisition of Boat Rocker Media assets and reverse takeover (2025–present)

On March 24, 2025, Blue Ant Media announced that it would go public via a reverse take-over of Boat Rocker Media, with Boat Rocker concurrently selling its global television operations, including its scripted, unscripted, and kids and family production and distribution divisions, as well as its brand management, creative partnerships, venture projects, and content investments—to a privately owned company controlled by Boat Rocker co-founders and co-executive chairmen David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, and CEO John Young.[39][40] Through the transaction, Blue Ant would inherit three Canadian production businesses—Jam Filled Entertainment, Insight Productions, and Proper Television—from Boat Rocker Media which had been completed in August of that year.[41]

On October 2, 2025, Blue Ant Media announced that it had acquired the documentary-oriented streaming service MagellanTV for $12 million.[42]

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Assets

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Specialty channels (Canada)

Streaming

  • MagellanTV
  • FAST channels
    • Love Nature
    • Crime Time
    • Declassified
    • Drag Race Universe[34]
    • Haunt TV
    • HistoryTime
    • Homeful
    • Love Pets
    • Total Crime
    • Nature Moments
    • Nature Time

Blue Ant Studios

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Blue Ant Studios is the award-winning international production and rights management business of Blue Ant Media, diverse slate spans premium factual and high-impact documentaries, competition and entertainment formats, lifestyle, kids, youth and family, comedy, drama and animation, for broadcasters and streamers throughout the world. A division of Blue Ant Media, the Studio encompasses Blue Ant Studios Productions, Insight Productions, Proper Television, and Jam Filled Entertainment.[43] Its award-winning slate includes iconic, fan-favourite shows such as Blown Away, Canada’s Drag Race, Mysteries From Above, Davey and Jonesie’s Locker, Gary & His Demons, Race Against the Tide, Top Chef Canada, Northwoods Survival, The Great Canadian Baking Show and The Amazing Race Canada, currently led by MarbleMedia's co-founders Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg serving as co-presidents.

The Studio's international distribution arm, Blue Ant Rights, represents over 8,000 hours of acclaimed content from Blue Ant Studios and third-party producers, maximizing rights opportunities and connecting buyers with programming that resonates with global audiences. With offices in Toronto, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Ottawa, Halifax, Singapore, and Sydney, the studio is well-positioned in key markets worldwide.

Production companies

  • Blue Ant Studios - An award-winning international production and rights management business, Blue Ant Studios’ diverse slate spans premium factual and high-impact documentaries, competition and entertainment formats, lifestyle, kids, youth and family, comedy, drama and animation, for broadcasters and streamers throughout the world.
  • Jam Filled Entertainment - An Ottawa-based animation production studio acquired in 2025.[44]
  • Insight Productions – A Toronto-based production subsidiary acquired in 2025. Recognized for working with some of the most talented personalities in the world, Insight's most recent accolades include smash-hit Canadian versions of such successful formats as The Amazing Race, Big Brother, Never Ever Do This at Home, Top Chef, Got Talent, Idol, Project Runway, Deal or No Deal, Intervention, How to Look Good Naked, and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, as well as original formats including The Launch, Battle of the Blades and Canada Sings.
  • Proper Television - A Toronto-based producer of unscripted television, including reality, lifestyle, documentary and specialist factual programs

Filmography

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Proper Television

Proper Television is a Toronto-based studio focused on non-scripted programming, including reality and documentary-style programs. It was formed in 2004 by Canadian producer Guy O'Sullivan after leaving the BBC; its productions have included adaptations of international reality formats, such as Canada's Worst Driver, Come Dine with Me Canada, The Great Canadian Baking Show, and MasterChef Canada.[64]

In June 2013, Proper Television acquired BuzzTaxi Communications to expand into distribution, with the company renamed Proper Rights.[65][66]

In April 2017, O'Sullivan died at the age of 49.[64] In September 2017, Proper Television was acquired by Boat Rocker Media; its production operations would continue as an independent division, while Proper Rights was folded into Boat Rocker Rights. O'Sullivan was jointly succeeded by Proper's former vice president of production Lesia Capone, and creative director Cathie James.[67][68][65] In 2025, Proper Television was acquired by Blue Ant.[41]

Filmography
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