Deluxe and MPS Create a Sustainable Solution for Electronic Delivery of Content to Cinemas

London, 2 June 2021 – Motion Picture Solutions (MPS) has today announced the sale of 50% of the Gofilex business to Deluxe, a global provider of solutions to the world’s leading content production studios and distributors. This sale unites Deluxe and MPS in a joint venture to provide world-class IP delivery through a single, sustainable electronic fulfilment platform. The parties’ continued investment to drive innovation and network expansion will benefit both distributors and exhibitors. 

Deluxe’s stake in Gofilex, the market-leading electronic delivery provider, demonstrates resounding confidence in the Netherlands-based company, whose IP content delivery and event streaming solution is connected to a growing network of more than 3,000 sites across 36 territories.

“Gofilex has proven to be highly capable and innovative over the past decade, notably driving broadband delivery of movies to cinemas, and enabling live streaming of event-based cinema. Our colleagues at MPS successfully migrated their own electronic distribution activities to Gofilex technology – a powerful endorsement of Gofilex’s e-delivery capability,” said George Eyles, Deluxe EVP and GM of Worldwide Cinema. “Deluxe is deeply committed to promoting best-in-class technology and smart initiatives that benefit our customers while supporting the health of the theatrical industry as a whole.  Rather than introduce an overlapping electronic delivery service, it is preferable for us to invest in and leverage the power of a proven technology in the form of a joint venture with MPS, ensuring we collectively provide a sustainable electronic distribution solution to the market.”

Eyles continued, “We have admired Gofilex’s diligence in deploying to sites internationally despite the crippling impact of the global pandemic. As our industry moves to a widescale re-opening, coming out of the gates with such a powerful distribution partnership will set up us, our partners, and our customers for a strong future.”

Paul Huis in ‘t Veld, Managing Director at Gofilex, welcomed the announcement: “We are incredibly proud that a company of Deluxe’s scale and calibre should recognize the strength of our electronic content delivery solution to such an extent that it has invested alongside our long-standing partner, MPS. The creation of one connected delivery technology represents an acknowledgement of the hard work and time our team and the team at MPS have invested over the past years. We at Gofilex look forward to expanding our solution into new territories, whilst maintaining our strong relationship in current markets and tailoring our service to suit the needs of customers wherever they are.”

Ian Thomas, Owner of MPS, similarly celebrated the joint venture: “There are considerable advantages to the united approach that this joint venture represents. At MPS we always knew that Gofilex’s IP delivery solution provides the efficiency and adaptability that the industry needs to face the future. Our faith in Gofilex has only been reinforced by seeing what Cathy, Paul and their team have managed to achieve in the past year. Without question, collaborating on technology that meets our needs, the needs of Deluxe, and of our collective customers internationally is the right move at such a critical juncture for global cinema.” 

Deluxe, under the ownership of Platinum Equity, continues to focus on investments in cloud automation and systems innovation. The deal with MPS underscores Platinum’s commitment to growth in the technology and media services sectors and aligns with Deluxe’s acquisitions of Sony NMS and Sundog Media Toolkit earlier this year.

About Deluxe:
Deluxe provides innovative, secure distribution and localization services for studios, OTT platforms and content creators worldwide. Deluxe’s cloud-based solutions offer unprecedented flexibility and reach through its customizable, end-to-end solutions that enable customers to create, transform, and distribute content and immersive streaming experiences to audiences on a global scale.

About Platinum Equity:
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with more than $25 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. The firm is currently investing from Platinum Equity Capital Partners V, a $10 billion global buyout fund, and Platinum Equity Small Cap Fund, a $1.5 billion buyout fund focused on investment opportunities in the lower middle market. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 25 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 300 acquisitions.

About Motion Picture Solutions:
MPS is a leading international film services company with technologies that support distributors and exhibitors at all stages of the movie delivery chain. MPS is instrumental in the release of hundreds of titles to thousands of screens globally each year, from box office blockbusters to small release independent films.

Services include creation and delivery of trailers across all platforms, marketing/social campaign delivery, 24/7 post-production and mastering, international versioning, secure electronic distribution, KDM management, technical consultancy and première support.

About Gofilex:
Headquartered in The Netherlands, Gofilex (GOod FILm EXploitation) was founded in 1938 to support the physical logistic needs of cinemas, originally delivering all kinds of film content and point of sale material. Traditionally working for both studios and independent distributors, in 2008 Gofilex undertook a digital transformation that has seen the company evolve into one of the film industry’s leading e-delivery and live streaming solution providers.

Backed by state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary ICT architecture, Gofilex services and operations have grown the scope of the company’s e-delivery network across Europe and beyond. Reliability, security, transparency — and a predilection for film — have always been the constants during the company’s 70+ years servicing the cinema business.