ITV to acquire Dutch maker of The Voice

BROADCASTING group ITV is snapping up Talpa, the Dutch production company behind The Voice, in a deal that could cost up to €1.1 billion (£781 million).

Will.i.am, Rita Ora, Sir Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson are the stars of The Voice which began in the Netherlands. Picture: Ray Burmiston

The agreement appears to represent a windfall for Big Brother creator John de Mol, who founded Talpa in 2004 and who will stay on to play a key role in the business.

ITV is paying an initial €500m (£355m) with further payments dependent on profit performance over an eight-year period. It has been reshaping its business to minimise exposure to volatility in advertising by buying production companies to help produce programmes it can sell globally.

Chief executive Adam Crozier said: “The acquisition… builds on the success of our international content business and is absolutely in line with our desire to create and own formats that travel.”

The Voice has been broadcast in 180 countries since starting in the Netherlands in 2010.

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