‘Jersey Shore,’ ‘Party Down South’ Producer 495 Productions Acquired by FremantleMedia

Company is also responsible for “Friendzone” and “Repo Games”

MTV

The production company that brought the world “Jersey Shore” and “Party Down South” has a new owner.

“American Idol” producers FremantleMedia has acquired a majority stake in 495 Productions, further strengthening its North American operation.

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495, founded in 2006 by SallyAnn Salsano, has also produced series such as Spike TV’s “Tattoo Nightmares,” MTV’s  dating series “Friendzone” and “Repo Games,” as well as numerous “Jersey Shore” spinoffs.

“495 Productions is undeniably one of the US’s leading reality production companies with a unique approach to formatted character-driven reality shows which have proved compelling TV in the US and around the world,” FremantleMedia CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz said of the acquisition. “This deal will allow us to expand our share of the valuable U.S. cable market and will complement and diversify our existing portfolio of content and clients.  Together, our ambition is to continue to grow 495 Productions in the U.S. and to broaden its global footprint even further through our extensive distribution and production network.”

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“This is a huge moment for me and the entire team at 495. That said, the decision of who to partner with and where to make my new home was easy because of my long term relationships with both Cecile and [FremantleMedia North America CEO] Thom [Beers],” Salsano added. “They know me, they understand how I run my business and they appreciate the way I produce my shows. I started this company with nothing in 2006 and this is proof that if you love what you do, work your ass off and want it bad enough someone will notice and it will pay off.”

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