Playmaker Capital has acquired La Poche Bleue, the Quebec-based podcast production house co-founded by former Montreal Canadiens players Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse.
Playmaker says with the acquisition of La Poche Bleue’s video-podcast series and branded lifestyle products (which span spirits to bbq sauce and t-shirts), it unlocks access to a new audience in Quebec, rounding out its regional and national hockey coverage in time for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season.
As part of the transaction, Lapierre and Latendresse, who host flagship podcast La Poche Bleue, as well as Managing Director Louis-Philippe Dorais, will remain with the business.
La Poche Bleue’s video podcast portfolio includes eight shows, produced in both French- and English, focused on the Canadiens, NHL, MLB, and NFL fantasy football, among other topics, including Game Over with former MLB pitcher and Cy Young winner Eric Gagne. In addition to its own channels, La Poche Bleue’s video-podcasts are syndicated on Quebec radio through a partnership with Cogeco Media.
“We’ve made it very clear that establishing a meaningful and authentic presence in Quebec is core to our continued growth in North America,” said Playmaker CEO Jordan Gnat, in a company announcement. “La Poche Bleue is an incredible producer of sports content and consumer products with true fan affinity in Quebec. In addition, Maxim, Guillaume, and Louis-Philippe are consummate professionals with strong ties to the local community. Maxim and Guillaume are bonafide sports personalities who will continue to drive the brand’s entertaining and culturally relevant content offering. This marks a significant step in our North America expansion strategy and an exciting day for Playmaker as we add more great players to our team.”
“We’re very proud of the strong following that La Poche Bleue has cultivated over the past several years, and we’re excited to carry on our mission of developing and promoting Quebec products, added Lapierre and Latendresse. “We’re also thrilled about the opportunity to join the Playmaker team which will help us embark on this next phase of growth and expand Playmaker’s business into Quebec.”
Under terms of the deal, Playmaker acquires 100% of La Poche Bleue for $8.8 million CAD, including $2.25 million in cash and 1,666,667 Playmaker common shares valued at $0.75 per share. The sellers will earn two separate earn-out payments up to a maximum of $5.0 million upon achieving certain EBITDA targets in 2024 and 2025.
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