QUÉBEC CITY, Nov. 20, 2018 /CNW
Telbec/ - ComediHa!, a comedy leader in Québec and across the
French-speaking world, is pleased to announce that Quebecor has a
acquired a minority interest in the entirety of its assets.
Quebecor's expertise and resources, combined with those of the
Fonds de solidarité FTQ, a minority shareholder since 2012, will
provide ComediHa! with unprecedented support to help propel its
growth throughout Québec and internationally, for the benefit of
Québec artists and cultural workers.
![ComediHa! welcomes Quebecor as a strategic partner (CNW Group/ComediHa!) ComediHa! welcomes Quebecor as a strategic partner (CNW Group/ComediHa!)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/787582/ComediHa__ComediHa__welcomes_Quebecor_as_a_strategic_partner.jpg)
"This is great news not only for ComediHa! and its employees but
for the entire comedy industry and the people who work in it," said
Sylvain Parent-Bédard, Founding President and CEO of ComediHa!
"Within the past few months, we have adopted a strategic plan to
help us tackle the many challenges that are transforming the global
entertainment industry. Quebecor's arrival will be a powerful
driver for our growth and enable ComediHa! to position itself as a
comedy industry leader in Québec and the French-speaking world. The
new synergies with Quebecor and the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ will
enable us to export more Québec cultural content internationally
and create new opportunities and better support for artists in our
industry."
"Quebecor is proud to team up with ComediHa!, an organization
that is growing at a remarkable pace and has become one of the most
influential players in the booming comedy industry," said Pierre
Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor. "Together, we will be
able to strengthen our positioning in the entertainment industry
and leverage our complementary activities to create more new
content for more platforms. It will be a pleasure to work with
Sylvain Parent-Bédard, a creative and visionary entrepreneur, and
his team."
"The Fonds de solidarité FTQ has had front-row seats to the
recent successes of ComediHa!, having invested in the Agency in
2012," said Gaétan Morin, President and CEO of the Fonds de
solidarité FTQ. "Those successes were made possible by the hard
work and creativity of Sylvain Parent-Bédard and his entire team.
The new partnership announced today will strengthen the position of
ComediHa! as a Québec cultural industry leader, at home and
abroad."
Making people laugh around the world
Sylvain
Parent-Bédard will continue overseeing all ComediHa! teams and
operations, and its head office will remain in Québec City, where
it has been since the Agency was founded. Business as usual will
continue at the Montréal and Los
Angeles offices.
ComediHa! has grown rapidly in the last three years. Its stable
of artists and creators under management has expanded
significantly, its roster of original television productions and
creations has lengthened (notable additions in the last year alone
include File d'attente, Comédie sur mesure and Roast
Battle), new broadcast platforms have been developed and its
reach has increased in all parts of Québec.
About ComediHa! Voir
la vie en drôle
ComediHa! is a major creator of
comedy content distributed through multiple broadcast platforms,
including live and televised. Its 60 full-time permanent
employees and more than 1,400 temporary employees and freelancers
have a passion for "making people laugh worldwide." ComediHa! has
over 20 managed artists and creators. Its offices are located in
Québec City (head office), Montréal and Los Angeles. The content it creates and
produces reaches millions of comedy fans around the world.
ComediHa! also produces ComediHa! Fest-Québec, a major festival
held in Quebec City in August.
Since it was founded in 1997, ComediHa! has produced over 3,000
live shows and more than 500 television shows.
Website: www.comediha.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/comediha
About Quebecor
Quebecor, a Canadian leader in
telecommunications, entertainment, news media and culture, is one
of the best-performing integrated communications companies in the
industry. Driven by their determination to deliver the best
possible customer experience, all of Quebecor's subsidiaries and
brands are differentiated by their high-quality, multiplatform,
convergent products and services.
Québec-based Quebecor (TSX: QBR.A, QBR.B) employs more than
10,000 people in Canada.
A family business founded in 1950, Quebecor is strongly
committed to the community. Every year, it actively supports more
than 400 organizations in the vital fields of culture, health,
education, the environment and entrepreneurship.
Visit our website: www.quebecor.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Quebecor
About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de
solidarité FTQ is a capital development fund that channels the
savings of Quebecers into investments. With $14.3 billion in net assets as at May 31, 2018, the Fonds has helped create and
maintain over 194,746 jobs. The Fonds has more than 2,839 partner
companies and 667,417 shareholder-savers. More information:
www.fondsftq.com
SOURCE ComediHa!