The company will acquire compulsorily convertible debentures in PhantomFX in one or more tranches through a preferential allotment, subject to shareholder approvals.
The investment is aimed at enhancing Zee’s content creation capabilities across platforms and genres, while leveraging PhantomFX’s global expertise, proprietary workflows and AI-integrated production capabilities.
The partnership will enable Zee to build high-impact content across OTT originals, kids animation, gaming and interactive formats, as well as mythology and fantasy genres. Both companies will also jointly develop original intellectual properties for OTT, gaming and licensing.
“At ‘Z’, we have always stayed ahead of the curve by enhancing our capabilities and leveraging strengths to engage purposefully with consumers across the globe. The strategic investment in PhantomFX marks a firm step forward in our ambition to build scale and enhance innovation depth. PhantomFX’s global expertise in high-end animation and VFX perfectly complements our aspiration to create immersive and more engaging content IPs that travel across geographies and formats. We will continue to build future-ready capabilities that broaden our creative canvas and technological prowess to lead the next phase of growth in the entertainment ecosystem,” said Punit Goenka, Chief Executive Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
“The investment in PhantomFX enables us to unlock significant operational value. PhantomFX’s proven capabilities in animation and post-production, coupled with our legacy in storytelling and distribution strength, will empower ‘Z’ with a steady, creative bank of content and robust abilities to enhance visual excellence across screens,” said Mukund Galgali, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
PhantomFX, which has a presence in markets including the US and UK, will continue to operate independently while gaining access to a steady pipeline of projects from Zee.“We are delighted to collaborate with a leading content powerhouse like ‘Z’. I am incredibly excited for this long-term strategic investment, designed to preserve our operational independence while also collectively enhancing our capabilities – backed by world-class animation and VFX and AI, technology-powered workflows, sharp execution and global craftsmanship. Our robust portfolio of studios will help ‘Z’ deliver creative scale and strong IP assets across animation, gaming, mythology, fantasy and immersive formats. With this investment, we aim to accelerate our ambition to expand PMG’s footprint in the global content value chain,” said Bejoy Arputharaj, Founder and CEO, Phantom Digital Effects.
The partnership is non-exclusive and will allow PhantomFX to continue servicing its global client base, including studios, broadcasters and streaming platforms, while expanding its capabilities and market reach.
