AE Live acquires Silver Spoon to cement US broadcast ambitions

AE Live has acquired the virtual production content creation company, Silver Spoon. The move will allow AE Live to further expand its foothold in the US broadcast market, adding to its global footprint in India, South East Asia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Founded in Brooklyn, New York, Silver Spoon serves the broadcast, film, live events, sport, music and advertising industries. It is headquartered in Manhattan, with an office in Los Angeles and an XR and LED stage in the Hudson Valley.

Notable events include last year’s partnership with CBS and Nickelodeon for two of their games, including the Christmas Day NFL ‘Nickmas’ game at SoFi Stadium in LA. Silver Spoon helped the broadcasters to break new ground in real-time broadcasting, (built entirely in Unreal Engine 5.0) and raise the bar on storytelling, entertainment and technology. Other achievements include partnering with Riot Games to take esports broadcasting to the next level and March Madness, where augmented reality ‘team-mojis’ brought together a new level of excitement to CBS Sports’ show.

Away from the live sporting arena, Silver Spoon continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in commercial production. The company’s partnership with Fox for the first ever avatar TV competition, Alter Ego, was a ground-breaking achievement in live AR, and its work for MTV at the Video Music Awards resulted in a first-of-its-kind, hybrid music video performance with rappers Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

“I feel that, together with AE Live & Ignite and our shared vision for high-end immersive graphics and animation, our common focus on engaging and informing viewers, and the global reach and experience across the group, we have something really special and unique,” said Dan Pack, MD of Silver Spoon. “I am ecstatic about what this means for our business, our clients and our people – we will be stronger, better, faster.”

Silver Spoon’s integration into the AE Live Group follows New Zealand-based Ignite, a creative powerhouse in APAC, which was acquired by AE Live in 2020. Ignite has supported AE Live with a highly valued presence in Singapore and Malaysia, to complement its other established subsidiaries in South Africa and India.

“Our acquisition of Silver Spoon further enhances the highly innovative and creative capabilities of the AE Live group,” said AE Live CEO Nick Baily. “We recognise that our global clients are looking for partners who can help inform and entertain their audience in the most creative and innovative ways. We feel that Silver Spoon’s innovative virtual production capabilities will dovetail perfectly with our award-winning creative agency, Ignite, while adding yet more to the diverse range of services that AE Live can offer.

“We feel the timing of this acquisition is ideal, as AE Live looks to establish itself as a significant player in the US broadcast market on the back of recent contract wins. Silver Spoon is highly regarded across the US broadcast and advertising sectors, and this investment will help their highly creative team to grow and continue to provide more innovative solutions to the market.

“The acquisition of Silver Spoon shows our US broadcast ambitions in a market which we intend to be in for a very long time.”

No financials were revealed.