ITV Invests In Ex-Maker Studios CEO’s Zealot Networks, Now Valued At $100 Million

U.K.-based ITV see lots of potential in Zealot Networks. The British television network just invested in the media company created by Maker Studios co-founder and ex-CEO Danny Zappin.

The partnership will presumably help develop Zealot’s digital studios and streamline the media company’s own investments in the future. Under the deal, ITV will join Zealot’s board of directors. While financial details weren’t disclosed, Zealot previously managed to raise $25 million in an initial funding round. ITV’s investment means Zappin’s media company is now valued at a sizeable $100 million.

“Danny Zappin has been at the forefront of digital media in the U.S. for some time and it’s fantastic to be part of this exciting new venture,” said Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV Studios, in a release. “A key part of ITV’s strategy is to exploit the increasing global demand for quality content across a range of platforms, which closely aligns with Zealot’s own ambitions to not only distribute content across its own sites, but also to third-party platforms such as YouTube, Vine, and Instagram.”

“ITV’s investment provides a foothold in Europe and lays the groundwork for Zealot’s global expansion,” said Zappin, president and CEO of Zealot Networks. “The ITV relationship also gives us upstream opportunities for IP/content to distribute across traditional and digital media platforms.”

Zealot hasn’t officially announced many projects or partnerships other than its recent acquisition of AudioMicro, the parent company of YouTube monetization platform AdRev. However, the ITV investment should allow Zappin’s venture to look into many new opportunities, and the U.K. network’s belief in Zealot’s potential could attract another influx of cash for the digital media company from similar partners.