Poldark production company Mammoth Screen bought out by ITV
ITV has bought the production company behind historic drama Poldark – meaning it is not just the BBC that has a stake in the success of its hit show.
British media company ITV plc has had a 25 per cent share in Mammoth Screen since 2007 but it has now bought the remaining 75 per cent.
The production company's managing director Damien Timmer said the move would let it make "even more ambitious drama".
"We have a long history with ITV Studios, and with its support and backing we'll be able to make television for a wide range of partners both at home and abroad, whilst remaining a very British television company," he said.
The broadcaster, home to Downton Abbey and The X Factor, said the purchase of Mammoth Screen would give it greater access to a production team that has the "uncanny knack of developing hit after hit".
Last month ITV announced that it would be collaborating with the firm to produce a "major new drama series" based on the early life of Queen Victoria.
Mammoth Screen is currently working on a second series of Poldark.
The Cornish saga is based on the Winston Graham's novels, set in the 18th century, and was previously adapted for TV in the 1970s.
The 2015 BBC One remake, starring Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, has been a smash hit with an average audience of 8.2million viewers.
It has also been recently sold to broadcasters in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Canada.
ITV has acquired a number of production companies in a bid to make itself less dependent on volatile advertising revenues.
ITV Studios UK managing director Julian Bellamy said: "The team are one of the most impressive and sought after drama producers in Britain. From Endeavour to Poldark, they've an uncanny knack of developing hit after hit."