Sister Group Takes Minority Stake in Common Interest — SkimNews
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- Sister Group (Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone's transatlantic company) entered a strategic partnership and took a minority investment in London-based branded entertainment group Common Interest, with both sides already collaborating on a project slate connected to brand partners from inception.
- Common Interest, founded by Anthony Freedman in September 2023, comprises eight companies spanning brand experience, entertainment-led communications, cultural intelligence and IP development: 21st Century Brand, Amplify, Baby Teeth, CultureLab, Knock Three Times, Otherway, Seed and Wonder.
- Baby Teeth, one of Common Interest's eight units, recently created and produced "Finding Jamie," a microdrama series for the Jamie Oliver Group in partnership with Life360.
- Sister Group's broader portfolio spans TV/film (Sister Pictures, Dorothy St Pictures, Locksmith Animation, South of the River, Unanimous Media, Yes Yes Media), podcasting (Campside Media), publishing (Zando, AWA), music and live experiences (KOKO), and digital-first production (After Party Studios).
- Anthony Freedman cited Barbie, LEGO and Kraft Heinz's new partnership with Disney as visible signs that audiences are embracing brand-led entertainment across formats, framing advertising as hungry for new audience-reach methods.
- The deal was managed by Chris Fry, Sister Group's COO and CFO, alongside Deepa Shah, Common Interest's chief financial and operating officer.
Why it matters: The deal plants Sister Group inside the branded entertainment category at a moment both parties describe as "structural change," with brands now brought into IP development from the early stages rather than as later sponsors. Common Interest's eight-company structure and active slate — including the Jamie Oliver microdrama — give Sister immediate production capacity and client relationships in a space where, per Freedman, advertising is actively seeking new audience-reach models.
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