Coulthard and Humphrey-backed TV producer Whisper screens bidders

The tv manufacturing firm based by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard is in talks with potential consumers a couple of sale.

Sky Information has learnt that Whisper Group, which was established in 2010 and gained a BAFTA for its protection of the Ladies’s Euros in 2022, is working with advisers on a deal.

The corporate is claimed to be open to a spread of choices, together with the sale of a majority or minority stake to both monetary traders or a strategic purchaser.

Company financiers at KPMG are orchestrating talks with potential bidders.

It changed Channel 4’s Indie Progress Fund as an investor within the enterprise.

A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and administration crew.

The corporate is best-known for its sports activities productions, and is answerable for Channel 4’s Method One protection in addition to worldwide cricket, boxing and the Paralympics.

Whisper employs about 300 folks, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh.

Its chief government, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey.

It’s mentioned to be plotting additional enlargement in sport within the type of larger occasions and rightsholders, in addition to in occasions, the place its shoppers embrace Crimson Bull.

Whisper can also be centered on rising its presence within the US, the place it presently works with Tom Brady’s Faith of Sport, and the Center East, the place it’s partnered with Neom and Saudi Professional League groups.

Exterior of sports activities rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Take a look at cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England soccer supervisor.

It has additionally diversified into leisure programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton.

Its most up-to-date accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax revenue for the yr to March 31, 2024.

“Whisper has profitable diversified into factual, leisure and occasions to enrich the broader mix of labor throughout its sports activities broadcast contracts,” it mentioned in an announcement accompanying the accounts.

“It has been one other profitable yr for contract wins, with a sequence of renewals with key shoppers and a brand new vary of serious initiatives which is able to assist guarantee visibility over the subsequent few years.”

The sale course of comes as ITV holds talks a couple of merger of its Studios arm with RedBird IMI-owned All3Media, considered one of Britain’s largest manufacturing firms.

A mixture of the 2 companies could possibly be introduced through the spring, in accordance with banking sources.

This weekend, a spokesman for Whisper declined to remark.