US Private Equity Firm Great Hill Partners to Acquire Controlling Stake in Motion Picture Licensing Company
Great Hill Partners, a US private equity firm, is set to acquire a controlling stake in the Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC), a rights-licensing group based in Sussex. The transaction, valued at several hundred million pounds, will give Great Hill a majority stake in MPLC, although the exact value has not been disclosed.
Founded in 2004, MPLC describes itself as the leading global provider of audio-visual public performance licences. The company collects royalties for the public display of audiovisual content and issues blanket licences covering thousands of content owners. Its rights-holders include major studios and content creators such as Marvel Studios, CNN, Dreamworks, NBCUniversal, Disney, and MGM (Amazon-owned).
Tenzing, the private equity backer of MPLC since 2019, will roll over part of its stake in the company and remain as an investor following the transaction. The sale process was initiated earlier in 2025, with Guggenheim Securities advising Tenzing. Tenzing has been contacted for comment regarding the deal.
