ITV has acquired Talpa Media, the Dutch entertainment company behind hit formats such as "The Voice," "The Voice Kids" and "Dating In The Dark" for approximately £355 million.

Established by Big Brother creator John de Mol, Talpa focuses on developing new formats that have global commercial potential. Over the last six years, Talpa has created 75 shows that are now airing in more than 180 countries.

The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of this year.

“Great content is at the heart of ITV’s growth strategy and the acquisition of Talpa builds on the success of our international content business and is absolutely in line with our desire to create and own formats that travel," says Adam Crozier, chief executive, ITV. "This is a great opportunity for ITV to accelerate its progress in building a global content business of scale.”