Eyeworks

Eyeworks operated as a significant international television production entity, originating in the Netherlands before its strategic acquisition. Established in 2001 by Reinout Oerlemans, Robert van den Bogaard, and Ronald van Wechem, the company was headquartered in Amsterdam. Oerlemans, leveraging his prior success as an actor and television personality in the Netherlands, transitioned into production and entrepreneurship, founding Eyeworks to compete with established players like Joop van den Ende's Endemol.

The company's business model centered on the creation, production, and international distribution of both scripted and unscripted television formats. Eyeworks produced a wide array of content, including entertainment shows, dramas, and films, catering to a global roster of television channels. Notable productions included formats like "Celebrity Splash," "Test the Nation," and "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition". The company's revenue was generated through the sale and licensing of these formats and finished programs to broadcasters in numerous countries. Eyeworks pursued an aggressive growth strategy, making numerous acquisitions of other production companies to expand its geographic footprint, including Touchdown Television in New Zealand (2006), and companies in Belgium and Sweden.

A pivotal moment in the company's history occurred in February 2014, when Warner Bros. Television Group announced its intention to acquire Eyeworks' international operations. The deal, valued at approximately €200 million (around $273 million at the time), was completed in June 2014. This acquisition encompassed Eyeworks' businesses in 15 countries across Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, significantly expanding Warner Bros.' global production network. Following the acquisition, the international divisions were rebranded under the Warner Bros. International Television Production umbrella. The U.S. branch, Eyeworks USA, was not part of the sale and became an independent entity, with founder Reinout Oerlemans stepping down as CEO of the global group to become its chairman.

Keywords: television production, format distribution, international content, scripted television, unscripted television, Reinout Oerlemans, reality TV, game shows, drama series, film production, Warner Bros. acquisition, media production house, Amsterdam, Netherlands television, Celebrity Splash, Test the Nation, Extreme Makeover, Robert van den Bogaard, Ronald van Wechem, content licensing, global television, entertainment formats