FremantleMedia has increased its stake in Europe's No. 1 multi-channel network Divimove, making Fremantle the majority shareholder.

Over the last 18 months, Divimove has become the leading MCN in Europe with 900 million views per month. The YouTube network boasts 1,700 partner channels that attract 80 million subscribers and includes the top YouTubers in Spain (Elrubius, 9.8 million subscribers), Italy (FavijTV, 1.5 million subscribers) and the Netherlands (Enzo Knol, 550,000 subscribers).

Fremantle has been working with the company to discover, produce and promote new talent in the online space since 2013, when it initially took shares in the company.

“For us, the development and support of talent is at the center of our business, and we’re delighted that we have found a partner who has the same values," says Brian Ruhe, chief executive officer, Divimove. "Working with FremantleMedia has given us the opportunity to invest even more in our creators and develop new ways to grow their careers. We will continue to do so as we expand our relationship.”

The move by Fremantle to increase its involvement with the MCN follows similar initiatives at other entertainment studios such as DreamWorks, which bought AwesomenessTV in 2013, and Disney, which acquired Maker Studios in 2014.

The Divimove investment also complements the digital ambitions of parent company RTL Group, which late last year acquired fashion and beauty MCN, StyleHaul, and in 2013 the world’s third largest MCN, BroadbandTV.

To read more about how top licensors are taking advantage of MCN content, check out our June feature "MCNs: The New Buzz."

“Divimove works with really exciting emerging talent across multiple markets, which fits our global TV production business well, and we look forward to working with them even more,” says Keith Hindle, chief executive officer, digital and branded entertainment, FremantleMedia.

The partnership between Fremantle and Divimove has already resulted in the launch of Shootrs, a talent program that combines the production expertise of FremantleMedia with Divimove’s content creators and online video expertise. Shootrs was launched with the FremantleMedia companies UFA in Germany and Blue Circle in the Netherlands in 2014 and will see continued rollout across Europe this year.??

Another key initiative from Divimove has been the launch of BrandBoost, created to answer the demand for online video solutions from brands in Europe. Last year FremantleMedia and Divimove worked together to create successful branded entertainment campaigns across Europe for brands including Deutsche Bahn and Ubisoft.?

This year, Divimove has already launched talent management agency headed up by the recently appointed Michael Brycz, former managing director of central Europe for Warner Music. Brycz is tasked with exploring opportunities for Divimove's talent in new areas such as live events and music.