Bell Media has acquired a majority stake in global content distributor Sphere Abacus, bolstering its relationship with Montreal-based parent company, Sphere Media.

As part of the acquisition, UK-based Sphere Abacus – which will continue to be led by Managing Director Jonathan Ford – becomes the primary international distributor of Bell Media-owned distribution rights.

Bell says the acquisition will serve as a launchpad for an expansion of its content distribution capabilities, allowing both companies to accelerate growth and capitalize on new opportunities, while enhancing the international reach of Canadian content and creators.

“Late last year, we set the expansion of our global content distribution business as a core strategic priority. It’s gratifying to see that vision realized through our partnership with Sphere Media and Sphere Abacus,” said Sean Cohan, President, Bell Media, in a company announcement. “We look forward to continued collaboration with Bruno [Dubé], Jonathan, and their teams to further grow Sphere Abacus with compelling, global, and profitable storytelling. We’re just getting started.”

“Sphere Abacus prides itself on listening carefully to our customers to understand their changing programme needs, and the support of Bell Media will help us to further invest to service these,” added Ford. “Accelerating the acquisition of high-quality content from Canada and other territories, and broadening our relationships with more creators and producers will allow us to offer an even greater range of premium programming.”

Following the close of the acquisition, anticipated in the coming weeks, the combined Sphere Abacus and Bell Media catalogue will feature more than 5,500 hours of content, including titles like The Mightiest, Sort Of, Late Bloomer, Deep Fake, Small Achievable Goals, and Mark McKinney Needs A Hobby.