February 24, 2025, Stockholm – DMC Production has established itself as one of the fastest-growing live sports production companies in Europe. Led by industry veteran Paul Heitmann, who previously served as the President of NEP Europe, DMC has expanded across multiple geographies, establishing centralized production hubs in Oslo, Hilversum, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki in just two years.
Until now, the company has been primarily financed by Stena Adactum and sports and media entrepreneur Jonas Persson. However, DMC is pleased to announce that Coral Tree Partners, a Los Angeles based sports, media, and entertainment focused investment firm, has agreed to make an investment of over €50 million in support of DMC’s future growth. Coral Tree Partners will become the majority owner of DMC and Coral Tree Founding Partner Alan Resnikoff will join DMC’s board. In connection with Coral Tree’s investment, Greg Brown, the former President and CEO of Learfield Sports, will also join DMC’s board.
Specializing in remote broadcast production, DMC optimizes sports broadcast operations by leveraging fiber networks and software-based solutions to minimize the need for onsite equipment and personnel, significantly reducing travel, shipping, personnel, and environmental costs.
This strategic partnership strengthens DMC’s position in the industry while providing the financial and operational resources needed to drive future expansion and long-term success. The original founders of DMC, Daniel Franck, Johan Hedblom, and Jonas Persson, will remain shareholders in the company.
Commenting on the transaction, Coral Tree Partner Alan Resnikoff said “we could not be more excited to partner with Paul, Jonas, and team to build out the next generation of sports production. With the rising cost of sports rights, and streaming platforms seeking turnkey solutions, we believe DMC’s dynamic, cost and environmentally friendly approach will continue to resonate with the market.”
DMC CEO Paul Heitmann commented, “We are excited to bring Coral Tree on as a new partner in DMC’s growth. Their experience in US and international sports markets combined with the strong cultural connection between our organizations make them the perfect partner for us.”
DMC Production and Corral Tree Partnership
Overview
DMC Production has outlined an ambitious growth plan to be executed over the coming years. To support this expansion, DMC is forming a key partnership with Coral Tree Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in sports, media, and entertainment related investments. Coral Tree has approximately $500 million in capital under management and is backed by a range of high-quality institutional investors, including endowments, foundations, insurance companies, pension plans, institutional family offices, and funds-of-funds.
Key Highlights of Partnership
- Strategic Investment: Coral Tree brings deep industry expertise, allowing DMC to sustain its growth trajectory and maximize value creation.
- Financial Commitment: Coral Tree will invest over €50 million to fund DMC’s growth capital expenditures and acquire a portion of Stena’s shareholdings in a secondary capital transaction.
- Ownership Structure: Following this transaction, Coral Tree will assume control of DMC.
- Stena Adactum’s Continued Role: Stena Adactum will retain a minority shareholder position and continue to support DMC as needed.
Leadership Continuity: Paul Heitmann will remain CEO, backed by the existing management team. Alan Resnikoff, a founding partner at Coral Tree, will join DMC’s board of directors and serve as lead investor.
Leadership Background
Alan Resnikoff:
– Prior to founding Coral Tree Partners in 2021, Alan was a Partner at Shamrock Capital, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles.
– He has served on the boards of numerous sports related companies including automated sports production company, Pixellot (Tel Aviv), entertainment venue POS software company, Appetize (Los Angeles), daily fantasy sports operator, FanDuel (Edinburgh), and US college sports multimedia rights holder, Learfield (Dallas).
– Before focusing his career on the sports and entertainment sector, Alan began his career as a management consultant at Bain & Company in Los Angeles.
Paul Heitmann:
– Paul is a seasoned entrepreneur in the industry, with over 30 years of experience in the broadcast production industry.
– He was previously CEO of Mediatec Broadcast until 2015 and later held the position of president of NEP Europe for five years.
Jonas Persson:
– Jonas has been a successful sport and media entrepreneur for over 30 years, including the founding of IEC in Sports in 1994, which later was sold to Lagardère.
– Over the past decade, he has founded several sports and media companies, including Commercial Sports Media, DMC, and Sportway.
This partnership marks a significant milestone for DMC Production, reinforcing its leadership in the live sports broadcasting industry while setting the stage for continued innovation and expansion.
Jonas Persson, Paul Heitmann, Alan Resnikoff
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