Business

Iyuno Completes SDI Media Acquisition, Forms Largest International Localisation Provider

Iyuno Media Group March 26 announced it has completed its acquisition of SDI Media, with the joining of the two Los Angeles-area companies creating the largest international provider of localisation services for media and entertainment.

First announced in January, the merger will see the two companies operate under the Iyuno-SDI Group brand going forward, operating nearly 70 offices across 34 countries, covering a complete end-to-end suite of solutions for M&E localisation needs.

“The accelerating changes in the world are creating the need for more content that reaches audiences in every corner of the world,” said David Lee, the new CEO of Iyuno-SDI Group, formerly executive chairman of Iyuno Media Group. “We know that we must accelerate our technical innovation through advances in AI, workflow automation, machine translation and global technology infrastructures.

“In addition to these technological advancements, we have an equal priority to advance the artistic process, which then brings together the perfect combination of both disciplines to advance the state of the art of localisation.”

The combined company has provided localisation and entertainment tech solutions to the industry for more than 70-plus years combined, and will showcase an unprecedented ability to service the rise of video streaming services as content firms seek to deliver more content to more diverse audiences around the world, the company said in a statement.

“We’re delighted to be joining Iyuno. This combination gives us the necessary scale to meet increasingly challenging customer demands,” said Mark Howorth, former SDI Media CEO and new president of Iyuno-SDI Group. “Our customers require rapid turn arounds, cutting edge technology and a global footprint. The combined resources of Iyuno-SDI give us the ability to deliver end-to-end solutions and maintain the highest level of content security.”

Before the acquisition, Iyuno and SDI have history together when it comes to working on industrywide localisation efforts: in mid-2020, the companies 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 and SDI have also been heavily involved with MESA’s Content Localisation Council.

Iyuno’s financial partners include SoftBank Ventures Asia, Altor, and Shamrock Capital.