ACF Investment Bank, Behind Slew Of Production Company M&A, Sold To Merchant Bank The Forest Road Company

Peter White

17 January 2024 at 9:00 am·2-min read

ACF Investment Bank, which helped with the sale of Pilgrim Studios to Lionsgate and Charlie Brooker’s Broke & Bones to Netflix, has a new majority owner.

Merchant bank The Forest Road Company has acquired a majority stake in the company, which was founded by Thomas Dey and Richard Gray in 2010. It adds a media and entertainment arm to Forest Road’s existing advisory business.

More from Deadline

ACF, which has offices in the U.S. and UK, was also behind the recent sale of The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit IP to Embracer Group and the sale of Brent Montgomery’s Leftfield to ITV.

It will continue operating under the ACF brand with CEO Dey continue to run the business. Jeremy Tarica, Forest Road Securities CEO, will work with ACF to integrate it into the broader business.

Tarica said, “We are thrilled to welcome ACF to the Forest Road family, with their impressive track record of selling premium IP and facilitating iconic transactions across the globe in the content production arena. We are confident that, together, we can unlock incredible opportunities for growth within our portfolio, augmenting the capabilities of our respective businesses.”

“In a rapidly evolving media environment we need to match our client and market needs and evolve ourselves. This is a tremendously exciting next step in growing ACF’s capability by joining the Forest Road family. By uniting with this incredibly ambitious and well-connected team we are accelerating the fire power of the service offering. The media landscape is growing more sophisticated, and our clients’ needs are growing. With this transaction I am confident we can raise the standards further and deliver an even better-quality client solution,” added Dey.

Best of Deadline

BuzzFeed
Believe It Or Not, You Can Stop Washing This Part Of Your Body In The Shower
Here's what a doctor had to say when asked the internet's most controversial showering questions.
OK! Magazine
Jay Slater searcher makes unpleasant admission on This Morning after flying to find missing teen
TikTok star Paul Arnott is involved in the hunt for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife – but when interviewed by This Morning, he revealed his thoughts on Jay's chances of survival
Hello!
Victoria Beckham just wore the slinkiest see-through dress - we're totally speechless
Victoria Beckham looked incredible on Instagram wearing a gold, see-through dress to advertise her perfume, Portofino 97 - from her Victoria Beckham Beauty brand.
Yahoo News UK
How a far-right French government could affect small boats crossings in the Channel
France is one step closer to a far-right government following National Rally's success in the first round of elections – but what does this mean for the UK?
Manchester Evening News
GP says four signs in feet mean 'see a doctor'
Early clues of a potential issue can often be found in our feet
Manchester Evening News
ITV This Morning's Cat Deeley forced to come off air as guest says 'I hope she is alright'
The presenter had to leave the ITV set midway through an interview
Manchester Evening News
David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins' Royal Box encounter at Wimbledon after OBE controversy
David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins were both in attendance in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on Monday - nearly four years after their huge row over her OBE award
Manchester Evening News
Lad has extreme hair makeover as fresh trim leaves women gushing over new look
A man was left unrecognisable after he was given a drastic haircut, with people saying it made him look like a completely different person and that he would definitely get more Tinder matches
OK! Magazine
King Charles 'in discussions' to visit Prince Harry for first time in years - as 'reason' behind trip revealed
King Charles is said to be in discussions to visit his estranged son Prince Harry in America for the first time in years - but his wife and Prince William are reportedly not happy
The Telegraph
Boris Johnson’s father defends actions that caused BA flight to be cancelled
Boris Johnson’s father has insisted “I’m glad I stood my ground” after admitting to causing a British Airways flight to be cancelled.
People
Kate Beckinsale Cheekily Moons Department Store as Way of Dealing with ‘Horrific News’
"when the bottom falls out of your world the only response after crying till you’re sick is your own bottom," the actress wrote
The Telegraph
Chart showing hilarity of Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick arrogance
By now the routine is familiar around the world, from Turin to Riyadh, Lisbon to Manchester. Team of Cristiano Ronaldo wins promising free-kick, Ronaldo steps up to take it, sets ball down carefully, strides back with purpose, adopts power stance, puffs out cheeks and begins his run up. Meanwhile, fans prepare for a forthcoming goal-kick.
OK! Magazine
'Reason' wedge between Kate Middleton and Prince Harry has become 'even larger'
Princess Kate and Prince Harry were once incredibly close, with Harry even describing his sister-in-law as "the sister I never had, but always wanted"
OK! Magazine
Glastonbury cancelled in 2026 as Eavis family issue major update
Glastonbury Festival will not go ahead in 2026, as the Eavis family have confirmed that the iconic music event will take a fallow year "to give the land a rest"
Manchester Evening News
Spanish police could solve Jay Slater mystery by doing two key things says missing persons expert
The apprentice bricklayer had travelled to a Masca village Airbnb, roughly a 40-minute drive away from his tourist residence, alongside two British acquaintances
Simply Recipes
I Asked 5 Chefs To Name the Best Potato Chips, They All Said the Same Brand
The winner is crrrunchy!
Manchester Evening News
Roy Keane's hilarious reaction to England goal as Ian Wright and Gary Neville celebrate
Jude Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time in England vs Slovakia - and Man United icon Roy Keane showed a trademark reaction to the goal
Manchester Evening News
Intelligence trail leads cops to suspicious minibus travelling back from Glastonbury on the M56
Four people are in custody
OK! Magazine
Inside Corrie's Nina Lucas star Mollie Gallagher's 4-year relationship with famous boyfriend
Corrie's Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas, has a very different love life to her on-screen alter ego – here we take a look at her romance with an indie-rock band star
Manchester Evening News
NHS doctor warns of three symptoms you should 'never ignore'
These red flags might seem like nothing to worry about but they should actually prompt a visit to your GP, an expert said.

Latest stories