9 Story Media Group has acquired Portfolio Entertainment’s library, production slate and development projects.
Portfolio Entertainment was founded in 1991 by Lisa Olfman and the late Joy Rosen. It is a production, distribution and animation company spanning factual, lifestyle, drama and children’s programming.
Olfman will join 9 Story in an executive producer role and report to 9 Story president & CEO Vince Commisso. She will continue to oversee all active Portfolio projects and look to broaden 9 Story’s opportunities across key business areas. Portfolio associate producer Lauren Evans-Bell will join as a development manager/associate producer at 9 Story, working with Olfman to shepherd the Portfolio development and production properties forward.
“We are so pleased to be working with Lisa to bring the Portfolio library and current slates under the 9 Story umbrella,” said Commisso. “Lisa and Joy created an incredible legacy of entertainment properties and we are honoured to continue this work in partnership with Lisa.”
“I am excited to join creative forces with the 9 Story team,” said Olfman. “9 Story has the talent, creative excellence, and robust infrastructure to best elevate the Portfolio properties for the global market. I am also looking forward to bringing new opportunities to the company and can’t wait to get started.”
As part of the agreement, 9 Story will take over production on Breaking Bear (8 x 22 min), an adult animated series currently in pre-production with Cartel Entertainment and Tom DeLonge’s To the Stars for Tubi. 9 Story will also take on Portfolio’s slate of development projects, including those in active development with broadcasters. Both Breaking Bear and broadcaster-led development projects will be led by Olfman.
The Portfolio distribution library features over 550 half-hours of content which includes popular kids and family titles such as The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Hero Elementary, Addison and Carl Squared along with several factual and lifestyle programs. Recent titles include the live-action family series Homeschooled, as well as the prime-time animated comedy Doomsday Brothers. The acquisition brings 9 Story’s total distribution library to almost 5,000 half-hours.
