ES Broadcast Acquires Sony Archiving Solutions Specialist Memnon

ES Broadcast has announced the acquisition of Sony’s archiving solutions arm, Memnon. Terms of the deal will remain confidential. Memnon is a provider of services to digitize, restore, preserve and enable access to historical recordings, and has clients based around the world. The company operates facilities in Belgium, the US, Israel and Australia.

The acquisition of Memnon expands the reach of ES Broadcast’s existing media services, provided primarily to a UK client base by subsidiary LMH, into the global marketplace. It also augments the company’s offering to its clients, including systems integration, equipment sales and hire, allowing it to provide services across the entire broadcast and production spectrum.

ES Broadcast group CEO, Ben Murphy, said: “The acquisition is an integral part of our global strategy of increasing the focus on services-led solutions. It is a powerful combination of two leading service providers, with the ability to reach a global audience of media and entertainment clients, as well as institutional businesses such as museums, libraries, archives and universities.

“Combining the expertise of Memnon’s existing team with the wider pool of highly technical talent at ES Broadcast’s disposal creates the exciting prospect of further solution innovation and service development across the business, which will only be of benefit to our customers.”

Edward Saunders, executive chairman at ES Broadcast, added: “With LMH having grown its digitization and archiving offering significantly in recent years, there are a lot of synergies with Memnon, which is recognized as a leading light in that area. We are excited to be bringing Memnon into the group and enabling its customers to access the wide range of services and unsurpassed technical expertise that ES Broadcast offers.”

“With its leading digitization, restoration, and preservation of historical content expertise and its worldwide footprint, Memnon already contributes in a unique way to the content and media industry,” commented Adam Fry, vice president, Professional Solutions Europe, Sony Europe. ”ES Broadcast has been a business partner for Sony in Europe for many years and we believe that the combination of capabilities of both companies will have a positive impact on the whole industry.”

Current Memnon CEO, Baku Morikuni, is to step down from his role as part of the transition. Michel Merten, who originally founded Memnon, will assume management of the company’s EMEA and APAC operation, while Andrew Dapuzzo continues to steer the business in the US. LMH, which will maintain its focus on delivering media services to UK clients, is led by managing director Gary Edwards, who will help to oversee the integration of the two businesses.

ES Broadcast currently operates across 10 locations in the UK, US and Spain and works with some of the world’s most prestigious sports bodies, broadcasters, service providers, institutions, and historic and national library archives.