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Ashit Chakravarty joins Magiccircle as associate partner & COO
MUMBAI: Ashit Chakravarty has been appointed associate partner & chief operating officer at Magiccircle. With a distinguished career spanning renowned global agencies, Chakravarty brings extensive experience in brand strategy, marketing, and business growth.
Dentsu Creative appointed Chakravarty as managing partner & brand strategy & west, following key prominent roles at Dentsu Webchutney, where he advanced from vice president to executive vice president & growth & strategy. His expertise in forecasting, cross-functional management, & consumer behaviour has shaped campaigns for top brands.
Leo Burnett, contract advertising, and Dentsu Aegis Network have also been part of Chakravarty’s professional journey, along with his role as head of brand marketing at Zopper.com.
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Banijay eyes live events as major growth driver beyond TV
IP like ‘Black Mirror’ set for immersive experiences in 2026, gaming division powers profitability.
MUMBAI: Banijay is turning screens into stages because when your IP is this golden, even the live crowd wants an encore. Banijay, the French entertainment group, on Thursday flagged live events and franchise extensions as key growth engines for 2026 and beyond, ahead of its planned merger with All3Media. CEO François Riahi told reporters that the company’s strongest content IP is increasingly generating value off-screen, pointing to the upcoming immersive live experiences based on ‘Black Mirror’ in 2026 as a prime example.
“We have a gold mine that we’re not fully exploiting,” Riahi said. He cited the intense bidding war between Paramount and Netflix for Warner’s portfolio as proof of how fundamental IP has become in today’s entertainment landscape. “That gives you an idea of how essential IP is today,” he added.
On the financial front, Banijay’s production consolidated revenue edged up 0.4 per cent excluding currency effects to €3.29 billion in 2025. Its online betting division led by Betclic and bolstered by the recent Tipico acquisition grew 10.2 per cent to €1.59 billion, accounting for roughly one-third of group revenue but nearly half of profitability. Combined EBITDA rose 8.6 per cent to €961 million.
Riahi said the gaming division is poised to benefit in 2026 from major sporting events including the soccer World Cup, with focus on customer acquisition across Betclic and Tipico.
Banijay will provide detailed mid-term financial guidance, incorporating recent acquisitions, during its strategic update on 26 March 2026.
In an industry where stories no longer end at the credits, Banijay isn’t just producing content, it’s turning franchises into full-spectrum entertainment empires, one live experience and one bet at a time.
