Skybound Entertainment, the multiplatform studio behind global franchises like The Walking Dead and hundreds of additional IP, announced the acquisition of Maple Media from Shamrock Capital.
Maple Media is a leader in mobile app publishing and boasts a diverse portfolio of “Top 10” apps across productivity, entertainment, and lifestyle categories which has generated over 600 million lifetime downloads.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
Acquisitions are becoming the norm in gaming. But this is the kind of thing you can do if you own The Walking Dead franchise, which debuted as a comic book by creator Robert Kirkman in 2003. It is the most successful original entertainment franchise created this century, according Hernan Lopez, founder of Owl & Co. Skybound also owns Impact Winter and Invincible.
The games alone have generated more than $1 billion in revenues, and the Netlix show drew 1.3 billion viewing hours in 2023, Lopez said in an interview with GamesBeat. And during that year it was the third-most watched TV series — 13 years after the TV show launched. In 2010, Kirkman started Skybound Entertainment with David Alpert.
This acquisition enhances Skybound’s reach by adding Maple Media’s stable, recurring revenue and subscriber base, proprietary app management technology, and direct relationships with consumers. Maple Media’s apps and services are an integral part of millions of user’s monthly routines for getting things done and having fun, which extends Skybound’s audience, consumer reach and engagement.
Additionally, partnering with Maple Media facilitates a direct relationship between Skybound and consumers, enhancing Skybound’s ability to bring incredible content directly from creators to fans.
Maple Media’s expertise in mobile app operations and optimization supports Skybound’s mission to deliver compelling stories across every platform and medium, from comics and games to television, mobile devices and beyond.
“Bringing Maple Media into the Skybound universe is a game-changer,” said David Alpert, CEO of Skybound Entertainment, in a statement. “This enables us to fluidly connect our great IP directly to our audience. We look forward to building and expanding these opportunities with Michael Ritter, Founder and CEO, David Bos, COO, and the rest of the Maple Media team, as the partnership strengthens our ability to connect content directly to audiences like never before. Together, we’re unlocking new ways to deliver for our creators and fans while staying true to our mission of putting them first.”
By integrating Maple Media’s team, experienced entertainment industry executives, and its robust suite of tools, Skybound is positioned to scale its mobile presence while exploring new entertainment applications, leveraging Maple Media’s podcast, game, and content distribution capabilities, among others.
“We’re thrilled to join the Skybound Entertainment family and bring our expertise in mobile apps to a company that shares our passion for engaging and meaningful content,” said Michael Ritter, CEO and founder of Maple Media, in a statement. “This partnership not only strengthens Maple Media’s ability to scale and innovate but also opens up exciting new opportunities to integrate Skybound’s iconic IP into the mobile space. Together, we look forward to creating unique, impactful experiences for millions of users worldwide.”
Skybound is the creator-driven, fan-focused company behind landmark global franchises like The Walking Dead, Invincible, Impact Winter and hundreds more IPs that are redefining entertainment through its Wheel of Awesome business model.
Skybound unlocks the unique opportunity to cultivate all aspects of a franchise from development through distribution; our IP connects with audiences through groundbreaking stories told on a grand scale. We empower our creators to directly expand their IP and turn their ideas into movies, TV shows, tabletop games, comics, podcasts, collectibles, video games, or all of the above and then some.
Shamrock Capital is a Los Angeles-based investment firm with approximately $6.4 billion of assets under management. Shamrock Capital invests exclusively in media, entertainment, communications, and related sectors through a multi-fund strategy centered on private equity investments, as well as ownership and financing of content and media rights. The firm was originally founded in 1978 as the family investment company for the late Roy E. Disney and has since evolved into an institutionally backed firm with a leading group of investors, including endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth and pension funds.
Disclosure: I have family working at Skybound.
