The television production company founded by broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former racing driver David Coulthard is in talks with potential buyers about a sale.
Sky News has learnt that Whisper Group, which was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women’s Euros in 2022, is working with advisers on a deal.
The company is said to be open to a range of options, including the sale of a majority or minority stake to either financial investors or a strategic buyer.
Corporate financiers at KPMG are orchestrating talks with potential bidders.
Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020.
It replaced Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business.
A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team.
Lioness Millie Bright celebrates England’s win at the Women’s Euros 2022, the coverage of which was produced by Whisper. File pic: Reuters
The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4’s Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics.
Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh.
Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey.
It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull.
Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady’s Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams.
Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Eriksson, the late England football manager.
It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton.
Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024.
“Whisper has successful diversified into factual, entertainment and events to complement the wider blend of work across its sports broadcast contracts,” it said in a statement accompanying the accounts.
“It has been another successful year for contract wins, with a series of renewals with key clients and a new range of significant projects which will help ensure visibility over the next few years.”
The sale process comes as ITV holds talks about a merger of its Studios arm with RedBird IMI-owned All3Media, one of Britain’s biggest production companies.
A combination of the two businesses could be announced during the spring, according to banking sources.
This weekend, a spokesman for Whisper declined to comment.
