International Media Investments

What International Media Investments does

International Media Investments (IMI) is a privately-owned, Abu Dhabi-based global media investment holding company operating across 15 countries with approximately 800 employees representing 47 nationalities. Founded in 2007, the group is structured around four pillars: (1) directly-owned editorial brands including Sky News Arabia (24/7 Arabic news, now under full IMI ownership following the 2026 Sky UK JV unwind), The National (English-language news), Al Ain News, CNN Business Arabic, and a minority stake in Euronews; (2) the RedBird IMI joint venture with RedBird Capital Partners, which holds All3Media, MEDIA RES, EverWonder Studios, Hidden Pigeon Company, Front Office Sports, a 50% stake in the pending Banijay-All3Media merged entity, and a minority stake in The Telegraph acquisition; (3) a sports and live-events portfolio spanning Miami Open, Mubadala Citi DC Open, Mubadala World Tennis, Mutua Madrid Open, IMG Tennis, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, UFL, Today Tix, MARI, and Taste Dubai; and (4) the IMI Media Academy training platform.

Underlying technology spans broadcast engineering, digital publishing, social video, podcast distribution, and an AI-led production and distribution agenda led by Chief Technology Officer Bradley Eliot, with dedicated Chief Transformation Officer (Nakhle Elhage) and Chief Investment Officer (Karim Ben Salah) functions added in 2026. IMI generated its first Oscar-winning feature (Hamnet, via Neal Street Productions/All3Media) in 2025-2026 and operates from Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi as its global headquarters.

The business model combines advertising sales across owned-and-operated media (with ENG Future Media as exclusive commercial partner), content production and distribution revenue (primarily via All3Media's 4,000 hours/year of output and 30,000+ hour catalog), brand licensing royalties (multi-year Sky UK deal), media training fees (1,000+ professionals trained, 800+ hours delivered in 2025), live-event sponsorship and ticketing, and investment/portfolio returns from equity stakes. Customers span mass-market Arabic and English-language media audiences, government and foundation training partners (Saudi Press Agency, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation), and global content consumers across 25 countries post-merger.

Name

International Media Investments

Legal name

IMI Holdings FZ LLC

Website

https://imimedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

IMI is a privately-owned Abu Dhabi-based global media investment group operating majority-owned news brands (Sky News Arabia, The National, CNN Business Arabic, Al Ain News), a RedBird Capital Partners JV holding All3Media and other content assets, and a sports and live-events portfolio across 15 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising sales: Advertising revenue across IMI media assets, with ENG Future Media appointed as exclusive commercial partner for advertising sales. IMI also has a dedicated Chief Revenue Officer role overseeing product innovation and revenue growth.
2. Brand licensing royalties: Multi-year brand licensing deal with Sky UK for continued use of the Sky News Arabia brand following the end of the Sky UK / IMI news joint venture.
3. Content production revenue: Revenue from global content production via the RedBird IMI portfolio, including All3Media (50 production labels producing 4,000 hours annually across UK, US, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand) and the planned merged entity with Banijay Entertainment (combined catalog exceeding 260,000 hours, expected revenues over €4.4 billion).
4. Media training and academy services: Revenue from IMI Media Academy offering training programs (Speaking with Influence, Media Handling, AI Skills, Content Creation, Podcasting) delivered to over 1,000 professionals and 100+ local and international partners.
5. Investment and portfolio returns: Returns from portfolio investments across media, entertainment, sports (e.g., The Very Group co-investment with Carlyle, Players Era Festival with Big 12 worth over $50 million through 2030).
6. Live events and experiences: Revenue from live events portfolio including MARI (expanded events portfolio), Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, tennis events (Miami Open, Mubadala Citi DC Open, Mubadala World Tennis, Mututa Madrid Open, IMG Tennis), and Taste Dubai.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IMI is a privately-owned global media investment group headquartered in Abu Dhabi that builds, acquires, and operates a diversified portfolio of media assets. Its offerings include owned-and-operated news brands (Sky News Arabia, The National, Al Ain News, CNN Business Arabic), a minority stake in Euronews, global television production via All3Media and RedBird IMI, live events and sports properties (tennis tournaments, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, UFL), the IMI Media Academy training platform, and creative/production services across 15 countries.

Product overview

IMI is a privately owned global media group — not a single SaaS product — operating a portfolio of owned media brands, acquired production houses, sports properties, and a media training academy under one corporate umbrella headquartered at Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi. The core platform comprises three flagship news brands — Sky News Arabia (Arabic 24/7 news), The National (English-language publication), Al Ain News and CNN Business Arabic — together with a minority stake in Euronews. Layered on top are the IMI Media Academy (training), the RedBird IMI joint venture with RedBird Capital Partners (holding All3Media, EverWonder Studios, Hidden Pigeon Company, Media Res, Front Office Sports, MARI, and a stake in the merged Banijay-All3Media group), and a sports and live-experiences cluster (IMG Tennis, Miami Open, Mubadala Citi DC Open, Mubadala World Tennis, Mututa Madrid Open, HydePark Winter Wonderland, Today Tix, UFL, Taste Dubai). Supporting sub-brands include Bright North, Banett Jackson, IMI Creative Services, and Frieze. The portfolio spans news, business, lifestyle, factual entertainment, sport, training, and live experiences across ~15 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sky News Arabia: Arabic 24-hour news channel broadcast from Abu Dhabi.
• The National
• Al Ain News
• CNN Business Arabic
• Euronews
• RedBird IMI
• IMI Media Academy
• IMI Creative Services
• All3Media
• Front Office Sports
• Frieze
• MEDIA RES
• Hidden Pigeon Company
• HydePark Winter Wonderland
• Miami Open
• Mubadala Citi DC Open
• Mubadala World Tennis
• Mututa Madrid Open
• Today Tix
• UFL (United Football League)
• Bright North
• Banett Jackson
• IMG Tennis
• MARI
• Taste Dubai
• EverWonder Studio
• Sky News Arabia Academy

Products and services

• The National English-language news publication operated by IMI, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, covering Middle East news, politics, culture, and lifestyle, with podcasts (Beyond the Headlines, Culture Bites, Trending Middle East) and a Graduate Training Programme.
• Sky News Arabia 24/7 Arabic-language news channel broadcast from Abu Dhabi, distributed across TV, digital, and social platforms; IMI assumed full strategic and operational ownership in 2026 under a multi-year brand licensing deal with Sky UK.
• Al Ain News Arabic-language digital news outlet within the IMI portfolio, listed among IMI's core platforms undergoing editorial transformation.
• Euronews (minority stake) Pan-European international news channel in which IMI holds a minority stake, part of IMI's global news portfolio.
• IMI Media Academy Group-wide media training academy offering courses in Speaking with Influence, Media Handling, AI Skills, Content Creation, and Podcasting, delivered to 1,000+ professionals across 100+ partners.
• All3Media UK's largest independent television production company acquired by RedBird IMI in 2024 for £1.15 billion, operating 50 production labels, producing 4,000 hours annually, and distributing a 30,000+ hour catalogue.
• RedBird IMI Joint venture between IMI and RedBird Capital Partners focused on global media, entertainment, sports, and news investments, holding All3Media, Media Res, EverWonder Studios, Hidden Pigeon Company, Front Office Sports, and a 50% stake in the merged Banijay-All3Media group.
• IMI Creative Services Group-level creative services function supporting IMI's editorial, production, and brand initiatives.
• Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Live events and seasonal experience brand held within IMI's sports and live-events portfolio (London Winter Wonderland).
• Miami Open Tennis tournament property held within IMI's sports and live-events portfolio.
• MARI Live experiences and events company in which IMI took a strategic stake in November 2025 to expand its global live-events footprint.
• Today Tix Ticketing platform brand held within IMI's live experiences and entertainment portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~$5 billion combined enterprise value of Banijay-All3Media merger
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Sky UKcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 May 2026Sky UK ended its news joint venture with IMI in the UAE, with IMI assuming full strategic and operational ownership of Sky News Arabia. As part of the agreement, Sky is entering into a multi-year brand licensing deal with IMI for the Sky News Arabia brand.
• Al Jazira ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 April 2026Al Jazira Sports Club and IMI Group announced a partnership agreement on April 30, 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
• Banijay GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Banijay Group agreed to merge its entertainment division, Banijay Entertainment, with All3Media (within RedBird IMI portfolio) in a $5 billion deal to create the world's largest independent content producer. Combined entity expected to generate over €4.4 billion in revenues, with RedBird IMI retaining a 50% stake in the merged company operating under the Banijay name.
• Dubai Press ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 May 2025Dubai Press Club partnered with IMI Group to empower and develop media professional expertise during the Arab Media Summit 2025.
• ENG Future MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2025IMI appointed ENG Future Media as its exclusive commercial partner for advertising sales across its portfolio of media assets.
• twofour54 (ADNEC Group)coreOthers · 31 January 2025twofour54, the media arm of ADNEC Group, announced IMI's relocation to Yas Creative Hub, marking a strategic real estate and ecosystem partnership for IMI's new global headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
• Big 12 ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Players Era Festival (financially backed by RedBird IMI) signed a five-year equity deal with the Big 12 worth over $50 million through 2030, paying college basketball players at least $1 million per team via NIL deals.
• Abdulla Al Ghurair FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Partnership with IMI Media Academy (then Sky News Arabia Academy) to launch a two-year media training programme for UAE nationals. Over 200 university students have graduated from a fully subsidised training programme through this partnership.
• Saudi Press Agency (SPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Sky News Arabia Academy signed a strategic MoU with Saudi Press Agency during the 2024 Human Capability Initiative in Riyadh. Both entities will work together over three years to elevate SPA's training curriculums and execute joint media innovation programs. Marks the Academy's first entry into the Saudi Arabian market.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ITV plc: ITV plc is the UK's largest commercial broadcaster and a major producer-distributor through ITV Studios. Comparable to IMI as a UK-anchored media group combining broadcasting and global content production, with All3Media having previously been a competitor in the UK independent production market.
• Warner Bros. Discovery: Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media conglomerate with broadcast, streaming, and production operations. Relevant as the prior joint owner of All3Media (sold to RedBird IMI for £1.15B) and a benchmark for global media holding-company economics, even though its scale is far larger than IMI.
• Endeavor Group Holdings (TKO Group): Endeavor (now part of TKO Group) is a global sports and entertainment holding company that owns IMG, UFC, PBR, and Professional Bull Riders. Its ownership of IMG Tennis and broader sports/events portfolio overlaps materially with IMI's sports and live-events cluster (IMG Tennis, Miami Open, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, MARI, UFL).

Direct peers

• Endemol Shine Group: Endemol Shine Group is a major global TV production and distribution group (Big Brother, MasterChef, Deal or No Deal). A direct peer to All3Media and Banijay in the international independent production market and a relevant industry competitor for catalogue value and format distribution.
• Fremantle: Fremantle is a global production and distribution group owned by RTL Group/Bertelsmann, producing formats like American Idol, The X Factor, and Got Talent. It is one of the closest scripted/unscripted production peers to All3Media and the merged Banijay-All3Media entity.
• Banijay Group: Banijay Group is the world's largest international content producer and operations partner in the 2026 merger with All3Media (creating a $5B independent content group). It is the most directly comparable scripted and unscripted production peer to IMI's All3Media/RedBird IMI holdings.
• MBC Group: MBC Group is the largest privately-owned media conglomerate in the Middle East, operating pan-Arab TV channels, production, and digital platforms. It is the closest direct peer to IMI as a UAE-based / MENA-anchored diversified media group with broadcast, production, and entertainment assets.
• RedBird Capital Partners: RedBird Capital Partners is IMI's joint-venture partner in RedBird IMI, co-investing in All3Media, Front Office Sports, EverWonder, Media Res, and the Telegraph. As a US sports/media-focused PE firm, RedBird is the most directly comparable investor-operator in IMI's portfolio-building strategy.

Emerging players

• Euronews: Euronews is a pan-European international news channel in which IMI holds a minority stake. Directly comparable to Sky News Arabia, The National, and CNN Business Arabic as a multi-language news network, and a strategic asset within IMI's portfolio rather than a competitor in MENA.
• Carlyle Group: Carlyle Group is a global private-equity firm that co-invested with IMI as a lender (from 2021) and controlling shareholder (from 2025) of The Very Group. Comparable as a co-investor in media and consumer assets, though Carlyle operates across all sectors rather than as a media specialist.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imimediagroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/share/Yd562GgGb3j4oxmZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imimediagroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/imimediagroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Media Investments