Italy’s prominent animation powerhouse Rainbow Group has officially announced the acquisition of a majority stake in 247 Production, a dynamic digital entertainment company founded by Nicola Bertona alongside prominent Italian comedy duo Andrea Pisani and Luca Peracino, collectively known as PanPers. This strategic transaction marks a major milestone for Rainbow Group—renowned globally for iconic animated franchises such as Winx Club, 44 Cats, and Mermaid Magic—as it aggressively expands its footprint into the rapidly evolving creator economy, digital-first content creation, and branded entertainment.
The announcement, made public on Tuesday, follows a significant strategic financial injection into Rainbow Group by TEC Movie, a specialized investment vehicle managed by The Equity Club in collaboration with prestigious investment bank Mediobanca. By merging Rainbow’s decades-long pedigree in traditional audiovisual storytelling and international television production with 247 Production’s agility in modern digital languages, the overarching corporate entity aims to position itself at the bleeding edge of multi-platform media production.
A Prolific Digital Powerhouse
Established in 2017, 247 Production has rapidly cemented its status as a vital player in Italy’s digital media landscape. Specializing in a broad spectrum of genres including comedy, culinary programming, music, lifestyle entertainment, and informative educational content, the studio has cultivated deep connections with online audiences and major corporate brands alike.
According to industry data, 247 Production experienced a remarkably prolific operational year prior to the acquisition, delivering more than 3,500 distinct pieces of digital content spread across upwards of 100 individual projects. This immense output underscores the company’s operational efficiency and its profound understanding of short-form algorithms, audience retention, and digital monetization strategies. The studio’s ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between creative storytelling and brand partnership made it an exceptionally attractive target for legacy animation studios seeking to modernize their distribution and engagement pipelines.
Leadership Restructuring and Strategic Roles
As part of the acquisition agreement, company founder Nicola Bertona will remain at the helm of 247 Production, continuing his tenure as Chief Executive Officer to ensure operational continuity and preserve the creative culture that fueled the agency’s initial success. Furthermore, Bertona will step into an expanded corporate role within the wider parent organization, assuming the title of Vice President of Strategy and Commercial Development.
In this new capacity, Bertona will operate within Rainbow Group’s TV, digital, and talent division, which is spearheaded by executive Gian Paolo Tagliavia. Bertona’s primary mandate will involve scouting, identifying, and cultivating cutting-edge digital entertainment business opportunities for the group, ensuring that Rainbow remains ahead of consumer trends in an increasingly fragmented media ecosystem.
Chronology of Growth and Strategic Acquisitions
To fully understand the weight of this latest acquisition, one must examine Rainbow Group’s historical trajectory of calculated expansion. Founded in 1995 by visionary animator and entrepreneur Iginio Straffi, Rainbow started as a traditional animation studio in Italy. Over the subsequent decades, the company evolved into a global titan, driven largely by the staggering worldwide success of Winx Club, which debuted in 2004 and spawned a multi-billion-dollar franchise encompassing toys, apparel, live-action adaptations, and global licensing deals.
As the media landscape shifted from linear television to streaming and digital-first environments, Straffi and his executive team proactively sought international partnerships and acquisitions to diversify the studio’s portfolio. A significant benchmark in this strategy occurred in 2015, when Rainbow acquired a controlling stake in Vancouver-based Bardel Entertainment, a premier animation studio renowned for its high-end CG production capabilities and substantial workforce of roughly 650 artists distributed across three specialized divisions.
Following the expansion into North American production via Bardel, Rainbow continued to diversify its creative output. The studio introduced successful preschool and family properties such as 44 Cats and Pinocchio and Friends, while simultaneously exploring adult and young adult streaming markets. Most recently, Rainbow’s feature-length production Mermaid Magic debuted on Netflix in 2024, demonstrating the studio’s ongoing capacity to secure major global platform distribution deals. The acquisition of 247 Production in 2025 represents the logical next chapter in this evolution, pivoting the company’s focus from traditional broadcast animation toward the decentralized, influencer-driven creator economy.
Executive Perspectives and Official Statements
Leadership from both entities have emphasized the synergistic nature of the partnership, pointing to the mutual benefits of combining legacy production rigor with digital-first agility.
"The acquisition of 247 Production represents another step forward in the evolution of the Rainbow Group," stated Iginio Straffi, founder and chairman of Rainbow Group. "We are combining Rainbow’s extensive experience across the media and audiovisual content landscape with 247’s ability to understand and interpret new digital languages."
Straffi’s remarks underline a growing industry-wide realization: traditional animation and television production companies must adapt to the ways younger demographics consume media, prioritizing short-form, highly shareable, and personality-driven content.
Echoing this sentiment, Nicola Bertona expressed optimism regarding the future trajectory of the combined entities. "We are confident that we can contribute to the growth of a group that is already a leader in its markets and that will also become a benchmark in digital content and branded entertainment, thanks to outstanding talent and creative resources," Bertona said. He further emphasized that the core mission of 247 Production remains intact, noting, "Our goal remains to create significant value for brands and agencies."
Broader Market Implications and Future Outlook
The integration of 247 Production into the Rainbow Group portfolio arrives at a crucial juncture for the European entertainment industry. Traditional media conglomerates are facing continuous margin compression due to changing advertising models, cord-cutting, and the saturation of subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms. By acquiring a digital agency with a proven track record of executing over 100 projects annually, Rainbow Group is insulating itself against market volatility by diversifying its revenue streams.
Branded entertainment, in particular, represents a high-growth sector where digital creators and production agencies hold a distinct competitive advantage over legacy studios. Brands are increasingly allocating advertising budgets away from traditional television commercials and toward native digital integrations, influencer partnerships, and bespoke social media campaigns. With PanPers and Bertona’s network of talent integrated into Rainbow’s corporate apparatus, the group is now uniquely positioned to offer corporate clients an end-to-end service package—ranging from high-end animated commercial production to live-action digital campaigns featuring top-tier online personalities.
As financial backers like TEC Movie and Mediobanca continue to support strategic consolidations within the European creative sector, deals such as this one are expected to become increasingly common. For Rainbow Group, the acquisition is not merely an expansion of its headcount or output volume; it is a fundamental transformation of its corporate identity, bridging the gap between classic animation craftsmanship and the dynamic, fast-paced world of modern digital entertainment.
