• by David Goetzl , January 14, 2009

Sony Pictures Television has purchased Embassy Row, the production company spearheaded by the showrunner for former sensation "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The Michael Davies-led entity joins the Sony TV studio, while continuing to develop series for GSN, TV Land and multiple other networks.

One ongoing focus for Embassy Row will be discovering foreign show concepts that can be imported to the U.S., much as Davies did with ABC's "Millionaire" and "Wife Swap." Sony has had a relationship with SPT before the acquisition.

Sony indicated that the acquisition will give it a greater foothold in development and distribution of reality and non-fiction formats. Steve Mosko, president of SPT, called Davies "an architect of the alternative-series business."

Davies will continue to lead Embassy Row, which has a growing digital content operation, from its New York base. But the group will take on a new executive structure that Sony said "will free Davies to focus his energy on the creation and production of new television formats."

Embassy Row is overseeing a remake of "The Newlywed Game" for GSN and a hidden-camera show from the U.K. for TV Land. It's also producing a "Fashionality" pilot for Bravo and one for Oxygen. In addition, it's involved in several Food Network shows with Bobby Flay.

Word of the SPT acquisition was first reported by TV Week.