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BBC gets 140 complaints over Wimbledon ad
MUMBAI: The BBC got itself into hot water over an ad it aired promoting the Wimbledon tennis grand Slam which kicks off today 20 June.
Since it aired 10 days ago the British pubcaster has received 140 complaints saying that children were getting upset. The ad shows a player shattering into tiny fragments as she is hit by a tennis ball
Now media reports indicate that as a result the BBC has decied not to show the ad during children’s programming. In addition, the ad will not air before or after any shows in which one in 10 viewers are children.
The BBC issued a statement saying that the ad was aimed at showing the physical and mental pressure of playing tennis at such a high-profile championship as Wimbledon, and the idea that Wimbledon is the tournament that makes or breaks players.
In its statement the BBC said that the image of the player shattering is meant to look like china shattering in a delicate way.”By showing that one player has broken it implies that the other is the winner.”
Programmes where more than 10 per cent of the audience are typically children include EastEnders,Top of the Pops, Dr Who and Neighbours. In April, the BBC was forced to advise an age limit of eight for the new series of Dr Who, starring Christopher Eccleston. As many as 100 parents complained that their children were suffering from sleepless nights after the opening episode featured ghoulish aliens and corpses.
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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.
