Lionsgate

Three years after the close of Lionsgate’s $4.4 billion acquisition of Starz, the companies have stepped up the integration of their television operations under Lionsgate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer. Merging are the companies’ TV physical production and post-production units, legal and TV music departments as well as aspects of business affairs and TV finance related to production.

Jon Feltheimer has for years been a buyer, most recently of Starz, but as Disney and AT&T bulk up and potential suitors swirl, his mini-studio could prove irresistible for a giant like Verizon or even the Murdochs.

With CBS and Viacom talking merger again, all eyes are on Lionsgate, which is considered a prime target for acquisition. According to one source, there are already potential suitors — Amazon, Verizon and a CBS-Viacom combination — that have all been sniffing around the company.

Lionsgate executive Andrew Kramer’s recent exit from the independent studio followed allegations that he harassed a subordinate. Kramer had served as COO of international for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group since 2013. Prior to that, he spent seven years at the Weinstein Co., where he was president of business and legal affairs and general counsel.

MGM is about to become the sole owner of Epix with a deal to buy the stakes held by Viacom’s Paramount and Lionsgate that values the joint venture at $1.28 billion.MGM agreed to pay $1.03 billion for Viacom’s 49.8% interest and Lionsgate’s 31.2% of the premium network business. The partners expect the deal to close this month, following approval by antitrust officials.

MGM Holdings is in talks to acquire the 81% of Epix it does not already own from two of its partners in the premium U.S. channel, Viacom and Lionsgate, people familiar with the matter say. The deal would give MGM, a privately held U.S. movie studio best known for its classic film library, control of Epix and would be a boon to its TV business, as it seeks to build a stronger platform to distribute its content.

Starz moved a step closer to merging with Lionsgate as the premium network company’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly to support the agreement to sell itself to the studio for $4.4 billion cash and stock.

Lionsgate has named digital media entrepreneur Julie Uhrman to the newly created position of executive vice president and general manager of Lionsgate Over-the-Top Ventures.

The two companies team up to offer a new premium on-demand movie service that will tap a base of more than 50 million Hispanic consumers in the U.S.

Former E! head of scripted Kevin Plunkett has been named EVP and head of television for Lionsgate and New Regency’s recently formed television production joint venture. Plunkett, who will be based at New Regency’s Century City, Calif., offices, will report to a joint board of the two companies.

For Starz, the long road to its $4.4 billion sale to Lionsgate this week began on Jan. 14, 2013, the day its stock began trading as a standalone entity spun off from Liberty Media.

Lionsgate’s deal for premium cable network Starz is a combination of cash and stock totaling $4.4 billion. The combined company will encompass: a 16,000-title film and TV library; the largest independent TV business in the world, including 87 original series on 42 U.S. networks; a feature film business that has generated over $7 billion at the global box office over the past four years; operation of or investment in 30 channel platforms around the world, including the flagship Starz platform reaching 24 million U.S. subs, the Starz Encore network with five OTT services; and a growing presence in location-based entertainment and video games.

ABC may have axed the series after four seasons on Thursday, but studio Lionsgate is actively seeking a new distributor for the musical drama. “We’re looking for a new home. We never give up on a great show,” wrote Lionsgate television group chairman Kevin Beggs in an email to employees.

Lionsgate has made a formal overture to Starz to initiate acquisition talks, a year after the companies were brought together by investor John Malone. Starz said in a regulatory filing Thursday that Lionsgate has advised that it “intends to explore whether there is a potential mutually beneficial combination of the two companies.”

Debmar-Mercury Co-Founders and Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein have signed new long-term agreements with Lionsgate, which bought their company in 2006.

Billionaire John Malone continues to circle Lionsgate. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., the parent of the Santa Monica television and film studio, said Tuesday that it was selling 6.8% of its shares to two companies: Discovery Communications and Liberty Global. Malone holds a significant stake in both Discovery and Liberty Global. Discovery and Liberty Global each will pay about $195 million for a 3.4% stake in Lions Gate, according to the companies.

NBCUniversal will run 13-minute highlight vignettes of the next installment of Lionsgate’s Hunger Games franchise across many of its networks, the latest example of how many media companies are choosing to run advertiser-backed content in a bid to nab dollars from their sponsors.

It’s starting to feel inevitable that Lionsgate and the Starz premium cable channels will merge operations, brought together by the command bond of investor John Malone. But how quickly the companies will tie the knot is still the subject of much speculation. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the two entities were in advanced merger talks. That was downplayed by insiders at both companies and a senior Lionsgate investor, all of whom acknowledge that the concept of merging has been discussed in abstract but disputed that talks to unite the companies are under way.

Lionsgate is partnering with Munich-based producer and distributor of event series Tandem Communications, a Studiocanal company, with a co-venture agreement to develop and produce one-hour drama series. The first in development under the pact is crime drama Sex, Lies And Handwriting, which Lionsgate and Tandem will co-produce with Lionsgate’s Canadian joint venture partner, Sea To Sky Entertainment.

CBS’s new stake in the TVGN basic cable channel could result in a TV network wholly devoted to celebrity gossip, style and red carpet coverage. CBS Corp. and co-owner Lionsgate said this week that they will introduce a new brand and programming strategy for the channel, until recently called the TV Guide Network, but that it will continue its current focus on entertainment. But the assets and ambitions of each owner suggest noticeable changes are in store.

The two parties take a 50-50 partnership stake in the cable network, which reaches 80 million homes, and TVGuide.com. CBS is buying its half from One Equity Partners, a private equity firm run by JPMorgan Chase.