M+E Daily

Two of the bigger names in localisation are joining forces.

Burbank, Calif.-based Iyuno Media Group announced Jan. 22 it will acquire Los Angeles-based SDI Media, creating a localisation giant with nearly 70 facilities worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“SDI Media is a great fit for Iyuno,” said Iyuno CEO Shaun Gregory. “We are well-aligned in our quality standards, complementary strategies and compatible service offerings. As a combined company, we will continue to deliver best-in-class services and technology innovations to our industry. We are certain that new and existing clients will benefit from the collective experience and capabilities of the combined company.”

David Lee, executive chairman of Iyuno Media Group, added: “The media and entertainment industry has been growing rapidly in recent years with the rise of video streaming services and we have seen media companies merge to create and deliver more content to more diverse audiences around the world. Now, more than ever, viewers are watching internationally produced programs localised in their language. This creates an increased demand to produce the breadth of languages needed, delivered at the scale and speed that our customers require.”

This isn’t the first time Iyuno and SDI have made an impact on the industry together: in mid-2020, the pair helped launch the Audio Business Continuity Alliance (ABCA), a nonprofit industry association that established a collaborative community of artists and companies who offer professional audio services to content creators worldwide.

Both Iyuno Media Group and SDI Media are also involved with MESA’s Content Localisation Council.

Now with consumer spending on content predicted to double by 2024, the combined Iyuno-SDI business is set to handle a large chunk of the expected increase in demand for quality localised content.

“We are excited to join Iyuno and become part of the industry’s leading localisation services company,” said SDI CEO Mark Howorth. “We believe that the increasing global content distribution needs of the industry can only be served by a complementary service provider that can scale with them in support of their needs.”

Lee added: “As two of the leading media and entertainment localisation service providers in the world, together we will provide an unprecedented solution to the market. Both companies are perceived as leaders of quality services, global coverage and innovation. By combining the two, our goal is to effectively support the rapidly growing need from media businesses around the world — not only by offering scale, global coverage and end-to-end capabilities across our worldwide operations — but also by utilising state-of-the-art technologies such as AI to bring true best-in-breed support for the industry.”