Michael Jay Solomon, owner and CEO of Digital Content International (DCI) and Espen Huseby, owner and CEO of NordicWorld, have entered into an acquisition and merger agreement of their two companies, whereby DCI becomes a significant shareholder in NordicWorld, and NordicWorld benefits from distribution alliances of its productions.

Huseby’s Oslo-based NordicWorld, a leading Scandinavian distributor of television dramas, formats and documentaries, gains an increased international footprint via DCI’s global distribution network and strategic worldwide alliances, while Solomon’s stake in NordicWorld significantly enhances DCI's position as a major independent content aggregator.

Michael Solomon said: “The old world, where audiences’ choice was limited to local programming and exports from the USA, is gone. Accelerated adoption of digital consumption and the growth of OTT channels gives global audiences more programing alternatives. It is therefore crucial for a global player like DCI to partner with companies that have built a strong local foothold but also have the talent, ability and ambition to create content the whole world can enjoy. DCI has found in Espen and NordicWorld exactly such partner. We couldn’t be more excited as we look forward to a bright, expansive and successful future together.”

Espen Huseby commented: “The arrival of Michael Jay Solomon as partner to Nordic World will bring us huge entertainment business acumen and entrepreneurial experience that will be instrumental in pushing the company into the next phase of growth. The deal will ensure our continued investment in new content and considerably develop the business worldwide as partner of DCI´s global network. DCI has immediate access and established relationships with both Hollywood Studios and independent content providers all over the world.”

NordicWorld headquarters will remain in Oslo, with its executives, some currently based in London and New York, joining with DCI’s existing management team, whose sales and acquisition executives currently operate exclusively in Europe, Australasia, China, Africa and Latin America.

A planned production unit in Los Angeles will handle the Companies’ strong portfolio of projects. NordicWorld was recently at MIPCOM to promote their format, Maniac – currently being filmed with Emma Stone and Jonah Hill – and to introduce the second series of Norsemen to the international market.

Stockholm-based media finance and business development company Involvy AB, headed by TV Norge founder Ola Steinsrud and Xavier Ritort, co-founder of MagineTV, brokered the deal.

About NordicWorld AS
NordicWorld is 100% owned by Espen Huseby after an MBO in June 2016 from previous owner TV2 Norway. It represents around 90% of the independent production companies in the region and with some 2000 hours of Nordic content, offers a wide range of quality programs from drama (crime / thriller miniseries and daily drama), factual programs (current affairs documentaries, lifestyle, travel) to children’s programs and the very best independent formats to the international market.

Digital Content International (DCI)
DCI is a multi-platform content licensing aggregator and distributor created by industry pioneer Michael Jay Solomon, whose professional career has spanned several decades. In 1978, Mr. Solomon co-founded one of the largest television production and distribution companies with Telepictures Corporation. It owned and operated six TV stations in the U.S. and went on to acquiring Lorimar in 1986, forming Lorimar Telepictures whose productions included Dallas, Alf, Falcon Crest, and Knots Landing. Lorimar Telepictures was then sold to Warner Bros. where, as president of Warner Bros. International Television, he was instrumental in opening hitherto inaccessible markets such as China, Russia and India, as well as other third-world countries. In 1984 Mr. Solomon co-founded HBO Ole (now HBO Latin America); co-founded the first satellite-delivered station in Scandinavia (SF Succe); and co-founded Armitraj-Solomon, a TV and feature film production company in India. Since then Mr. Solomon has partnered with Shanghai Media Group Broadband and the Israeli company Ray-V to stream Chinese-language broadcast networks live across the globe outside China. His latest venture, Truli Media Group, of which he is founder and chairman, is a digital platform focusing on family and faith content.