Indie studio and broadcaster Blue Ant Media has acquired MagellanTV, a U.S.-based digital streaming company offering premium factual content to online platforms internationally, for $12 million.
Launched in 2018 by Greg Diefenbach and Thomas Lucas, MagellanTV mainly operates a subscription video-on-demand service that will complement Toronto-based Blue Ant Media’s own portfolio of SVOD, advertising video-on-demand and free, ad-supported streaming TV channels.
MagellanTV has a streaming content offering that ranges across the history, nature, science, space and true crime genres, and a library of premium factual documentaries offered to consumers turning to streaming TV options.
MagellanTV also has distribution partnerships with Roku, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, LG, Comcast, Vizio, Pluto TV, and Google to reach audiences in 13 countries across more than 20 platforms. The purchase price for MagellanTV will be paid initially with $6 million upfront cash payment, followed by the remaining $6 million being paid over two years.
MagellanTV co-founder Diefenbach will join Blue Ant as executive vp of streaming, overseeing the Canadian company’s direct-to-consumer and subscription video businesses and reporting to Carlyn Staudt, president, global channels and streaming. Fellow co-founder Lucas will remain with the company for several months to support the transition to Blue Ant.
“Joining Blue Ant creates new opportunities to scale MagellanTV’s platform, while contributing to Blue Ant’s expansion as a leading factual content provider,” Diefenbach and Lucas said in a joint statement. “We look forward to working closely with the Blue Ant team to expand our offerings, unlock synergies, and connect with audiences around the globe,” they added.
The acquisition is the first major deal for Blue Ant since its returned to the Toronto Stock Exchange with a public listing after completing a reverse takeover of assets from Boat Rocker Media. Blue Ant is mainly comprised of a broadcast and streaming channel business, Blue Ant Studios, a producer of mainly unscripted and animation programming with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and London, and a Canadian cable TV channel division.
“This acquisition of MagellanTV increases Blue Ant’s scale and adds audiences and distribution capabilities that are highly complementary to our business,” Michael MacMillan, Blue Ant CEO, added in his own statement. Blue Ant went public in Aug. 2025 on the TSE with a CAD$155 million (US$112 million) credit facility from Bank of Montreal to support in part strategic investments as it drives growth through acquisitions.