Hear from leaders who trusted LDC with their business growth journeys

Partnering with the Brightest Creative Minds

Media Header Image Desktop - NEW

In the last decade:

Previous icon Next icon
16 Investments
£392m Invested
£1.7bn Combined enterprise value of investments
240% Average enterprise value growth for exited investments
121% Average revenue growth for exited investments
3.6x Average returns generated by exited investments

Media is one of the UK’s most diverse and exciting sectors. In a constantly evolving landscape, creativity, content, and client service are key. Management teams have to stay on top of their game to deal with a range of challenges – everything from skills shortages to retaining a company culture while scaling at speed.

We support ambitious management teams across all sub-sectors – from film, TV and broadcast to advertising, PR, marketing, events, and gaming. There are many routes to growth, from expanding into new territories to acquisitions that complement company cultures.

Want to know how a partnership with LDC could help your business to grow?

Get in touch

GROWTH SPOTLIGHT

Digital Media

LDC has a strong appetite to partner with ambitious digital media businesses. Our Growth Spotlight highlights four opportunities for growth in the sector, profiles successful case studies, and includes a Non-Executive Viewpoint.

DOWNLOAD HERE

CASE STUDY

Hybrid: A Story of Global Expansion

Successful four-year partnership saw Bristol-based Hybrid more than quadruple revenue and triple headcount.

CASE STUDY

Successful Five-Year Partnership

Read how leading digital marketing agency, Croud, harnessed the benefits of AI and grew revenue by more than 360% during its partnership with LDC.

Watch

What are the benefits of private equity?

Peter Reid, CEO, MSQ, and Grant Mansfield, Founder & CEO, Plimsoll Productions talk about why private equity was the right choice for their businesses.

Media Sector Report

Our media sector report looks at five trends driving investment in the sector and reveals exclusive insight from a Non Executive Chair about the power of agility and innovative disruption. We profile a range of leaders who are growing their businesses with the support of a private equity partnership with LDC.

DOWNLOAD HERE

How Investors Think: Insights From An Agency Accelerator

David Andrews, Partner in our London team, joined the NXT LVL Agency Accelerator: Exit Ready event to share practical insights into how investors evaluate and support ambitious marketing and media businesses.

Watch

Plimsoll Productions

"We wanted to build a TV production business of scale – that's why LDC are such an important part of the Plimsoll story." Hear from Grant and Jonathan at Plimsoll on their journey.

Investment Strategies for PR Firms

David Andrews, Partner in our London team, spoke on PR Week podcast, episode 23 of Beyond The Noise, along with Jim Houghton, partner at Waypoint Partners, about what buyers and sellers are looking for in terms of long-term growth.
Quote mark

There’s an old saying that in show business there’s no show without the business and I think LDC helped bring a bit more of the business to our shows.”

Grant Mansfield, Founder and CEO, Plimsoll Productions

Meet the Team

Thanks to our scale, experience, and success, we have significant experience in helping media businesses to grow, across all regions of the UK.

Meet the team

Latest News

The latest news and updates from portfolio companies in the media sector.

Read the latest news

Success Stories

Find out how we’ve helped media businesses to grow.

Read more

Speak to the Media Team

David Andrews

Partner

London

+44 (0)20 7758 3680

Aaron Lawson-Clark

Investment Director

North East & Scotland

+44 (0)191 235 3000

Alistair Smith

Investment Manager

East Midlands & East of England

+44 (0)115 947 1280

Ana-Maria Garaba

Investment Manager

South

+44 (0)118 958 0274

Dan Gluckman

Investment Director

London

+44 (0)20 7758 3680

Eliza Morton

Investment Manager

London

+44 (0)20 7758 3680

Oliver Schofield

Investment Director

South West & Wales

+44 (0)117 360 1970

Private equity in the Media Sector: FAQs

How can private equity help a media business to grow?

Media is one of the UK’s most diverse and exciting sectors. Management teams are facing increasingly competitive environments and need to adapt to opportunities in the sector – including the disruption caused by AI and the growing value of proprietary data. That’s where a private equity partnership can help.

There are many routes to growth. In the last decade, LDC has invested in 16 businesses in the sector, achieving 240% enterprise value growth on average, for exited companies. Despite complex market conditions, there is still a strong market for media sector M&A, and in the last decade, LDC has supported its media digital media portfolio companies to make 19 strategic acquisitions. Delivering growth on an international scale is also an effective way to expand UK media businesses – we backed higher education marketing specialist Hybrid to open their first US office, fuelling rapid organic growth in the US.

What types of media businesses does LDC invest in?

LDC has a strong track record investing in media businesses across film, TV & broadcast, advertising, PR, marketing, events and gaming, supporting management teams right across the UK from our ten regional offices.

LDC has been an outstanding partner, providing not just capital but strategic support and expertise that has been instrumental in our growth journey. Together, we’ve expanded our geographical footprint, enhanced our service offering through two strategic acquisitions, and invested significantly in our technology and people.”

There’s an old saying that in show business there’s no show without the business and I think LDC helped bring a bit more of the business to our shows.”

Our agency prides itself on finding innovative ways to incorporate new technologies to maximise client benefits and deliver meaningful value. LDC has shared our vision from the outset and offered the ideal platform for us to continue on our mission – which very much remains to become the world’s finest digital technology and communications group."

What should media sector management teams look for in a private equity partnership with LDC?

The key to the success of any private equity investment is partnership. We’re proud to partner with ambitious management teams from all corners of the UK to help them accelerate the growth of their businesses.

Every LDC investment is different and driven by the needs of the businesses we partner with. Our funding source is unique, and as part of Lloyds Banking Group, we can create a different type of private equity partnership – we’re not tied to fundraising cycles.

Whether a longer-term investment, or a partnership that benefits from an exit in the short-term, we back management teams to help them to increase the value of their businesses by growing revenue, EBITDA and headcount.  We have a strong appetite to partner with growing media businesses, and we have a successful track record of helping management teams in this sector to achieve transformational growth.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? See our full Private Equity FAQs or get in touch with the team.

Ask about Investment

Want to know more about what a partnership with LDC could look like? Complete this form and we'll get in touch.