Keywords Studios acquires Descriptive Video Works for $2.4 million

Service provider Keywords Studios has acquired audio description firm Descriptive Video Works.

The sale was agreed at $2.4m (CAD $3.2m), with the new deal providing Keywords its first office in Vancouver.

The Canada-based company was founded in 2003 to provide audio description services for broadcast streaming programs, documentaries, feature films and live action series. Examples of this include the summer and winter Olympics on NBC.

Previously collaborated

"In 2018, Keywords and Descriptive Video Works collaborated on a transcreation project in which a major video game franchise was made ready for OTT streaming in an interactive format and we were really impressed by both the team's capabilities and how well we worked together,” said Keywords Studios CEO Andrew Day.

"We are delighted to welcome Diane and the talented DVW team to the Keywords family. We are looking forward to supporting the accessibility needs of the film, TV and video games industry as these markets continue to develop.

“Our voice over studios around the world will be looking at ways in which they can work with Diane and her team to bring audio description production to European, South American and Asian markets.”

Keywords has made a string of purchases over the last few years, recently snapping up work-for-hire mobile development studio Wizcorp for $1 million in April.