Easttree Media Launches to Monetize Film and TV Rights

Easttree Media, a newly launched investment platform, is set to disrupt the film and TV industry by acquiring income rights in some of the "world's most iconic" entertainment properties. The company was founded in 2024 by a team of former executives from Hipgnosis, the ambitious music rights management firm that made headlines for acquiring catalogs from top artists.

Easttree's mission is to provide actors, writers, directors, producers, and other rights holders with the "ability to monetize all or part of their participation interests" in film and TV projects. The company was backed by funds and accounts managed by investment giant BlackRock earlier this year.

Easttree's founders, Marc Allen, Chris Helm, and Markku Lonnqvist, bring extensive experience from the entertainment and investment sectors. Allen previously served as COO of the management company 42, while Helm and Lonnqvist held senior roles at Hipgnosis, overseeing the acquisition of music catalogs.

The company aims to approach film and TV participations through a "fresh lens," offering "transparency, alignment and partnerships that serve talent." Easttree believes that the same principles that drove the success of music rights acquisitions can be applied to the film and television industry, creating a new and transformative asset class.