MY Entertainment — The Art of Acquiring Film and TV Businesses

In this interview, Shawn Moffatt, Co-Founder & CEO of My Entertainment, offers a candid look into building an independent production powerhouse in today’s turbulent media landscape. As one of nine companies under a broader media group, My Entertainment stands out for its agile, data-driven approach to content creation, acquisitions, and international co-productions. From embracing true crime to navigating today’s buyer’s market with surgical precision, Shawn shares how platforms like Vitrina have reshaped his team’s strategic decision-making. This is the written version of the Vitrina podcast interview with Shawn Moffatt—summarized for quick reading and reformatted into a Q&A style for clarity.

Shawn Moffatt:
“My Entertainment is a traditional, independent production company—we’re not staked by anyone. We haven’t taken money from Sony, ITV, or others, though I’m open to those conversations. It’s one of nine media companies my partner and I own, and it’s the only one in the show production space. The rest are standalone service providers—working across the media supply chain for production companies, networks, streamers, digital brands, and agencies. We can do everything from booking talent, shooting, paying, staffing, and delivering content. All of that sits under a company called Media Content Services. It’s a boring name by design, but we get to have a lot of fun working with great people across the industry.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“Data is central to how we operate. Before using Vitrina, we had good data flowing in through our different companies—it was a lot better than guessing which way the wind was blowing. We could spot trends, understand what clients were doing, and even predict some movements in the market. But what Vitrina has done is refine that even further. Where we were maybe 80% right, we’re now hitting 97% or 99% accuracy. It’s become a critical tool—whether we’re evaluating acquisition targets or making sure we’re pitching the right shows to the right people. I love that the platform shows who the real dealmakers are. Too often, we found ourselves pitching to the wrong person. Now we can zero in, get the right meetings, and spend our time wisely.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“We’re not a fund with deep pockets—we make strategic moves. When we bought My Entertainment, we were probably the only ones crazy enough to get into show production during COVID. We first invested in ourselves by creating Brands and Content, a small internal team that went out and developed and pitched shows. At that time, there weren’t any companies available in our price range. But now we’re more proactive. For example, last year I manually researched 700 Canadian companies, narrowed them to 35 real possibilities, and cold-called every one of them. It took me two and a half months. Today, with Vitrina, that process would be far more efficient. I now know more about these companies at a glance than I did after weeks of research before.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“We’re looking for companies where the primary owner is ready to transition, often after 20+ years. It’s not just an asset—it’s their child—and they want to hand it off to someone who cares. We’re looking for production companies with around 75 to 150 hours of content on-air, ideally with multiple seasons under their belt. The price range we’re most interested in is around $7–15 million. And we’re not rolling them up for a resale—we want to operate them, learn from them, and grow into new markets like Canada and the UK. We want to build, not flip.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“I love co-productions. I grew up in the business through services—we never owned the IP, but we were happy just shooting the content and delivering the season. I’m very comfortable splitting the pie. Some producers in the U.S. aren’t, but I’m okay taking a third if that’s what it takes to get a win. We’ve co-pro’d with SpringHill and Maverick (LeBron’s company), Vice, and more across Canada and the UK. I even used Vitrina to find companies that are actively doing co-pros—it helped me narrow down to two key players who had a track record of doing deals. We do this all the time, and whether or not a deal happens, I always come away with a new friend or future collaborator.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“Yes—true crime. Last October, I did my own internal research and asked a basic question: Who’s buying and what are they buying? The answer was clear—true crime is still hot. So I told my team, ‘Guess what? We’re in the true crime business.’ And by mid-January, we had four paid development deals in that space. That alone validated the direction. Now with Vitrina, I can get those insights much faster and even more accurately. But I’m also always looking ahead—what comes after true crime? We keep our radar on for the next wave.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“You’ve got to be laser-focused. There’s less buying happening—so talking to the wrong person can cost months. I use Vitrina to identify not only who’s buying but who specifically closed the deal. If you’re pitching to someone who hasn’t bought anything in six months, that’s a red flag. I even test my team’s connections—’Were you in their wedding?’ is my real benchmark for a relationship. In this market, you need both—great content and a trusted connection to the buyer. The spray-and-pray strategy is dead. You have to be respectful of their time and only pitch when it’s truly relevant.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“I think 2025 will be hard, maybe even harder. Consolidation is happening across all levels. You’re going to see acquisitions—not just by the Apples and Amazons, but among mid-tier players. Everyone’s tightening. Sports has eaten up a ton of budget, and that leaves less for original programming. You’ve got to reverse-engineer your strategy: who’s buying, what their distribution looks like, how you can deliver value quickly. Big swings are risky right now—nobody can afford them. We have IP like ‘Pros vs. Joes’—a six-season hit—but even that is too expensive for most today. So now, it’s about being strategic and stacking up smaller wins.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“I’ve been bullish on Canada for years. The tax credits, the incentives—it’s a strategic advantage. But you’ve got to be okay not owning 100% of the IP. That’s the trade-off. Same with the UK. We’ve even used international CoPro partners to ‘backdoor’ projects into U.S. buyers. It’s just the nature of the business. Vitrina makes it easier to spot those partners and move fast. The key is accepting that the rules have changed—owning less but getting more wins.”

Shawn Moffatt:
“The platform has genuinely been a game changer. It gives me the data I need to make better decisions, faster. I’m only using 10% of what it can do, and even that has dramatically improved my efficiency. I run a software company too—I know how hard it is to build something like this. You guys have done a fantastic job. Whether it’s helping me find deals, pitch smarter, or identify CoPro partners—I’m just better with Vitrina. It’s not a condo in Miami, but it’s worth every dollar.”