Fiction
Balaji diversifies into fashion segment; partners Best Deal TV
MUMBAI: After ruling the television industry for close to 20 years, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms is all set to diversify into a different business segment. The production house is planning to launch its first fashion label ‘EK’ at the Television Glamour & Fashion Awards, which will to aired on Colors on 29 March.
Brand ‘EK’ has been licensed to Balaji Telefilms by Kapoor, who owns the brand for commercialisation.
Initially, the label will be available on Akshay Kumar and Raj Kundra’s new television channel Best Deal TV, which will be Balaji Telefilms’ exclusive television partner to merchandise the brand. The production house is also in the process of associating with an online partner to further grow the brand.
A line comprising ethnic wear, mainly sarees and jewellery will be launched first, followed by Indo-western trends and accessories in the near future.
Brand ‘EK’ is a natural culmination of the significant legacy of over 20 years that Ekta Kapoor has created in the world of entertainment and now she takes her business and passion forward with the launch of her brand via merchandising.
A foray into the fashion world is a first of its kind venture for Balaji Telefilms and the company will get a percentage of sales as royalty.
“Television and style are consumed by viewers in different forms on a daily basis. ‘EK’ is an attempt to marry the two. We are excited with this new venture and look to make a mark in the fashion world, by making the brand easily accessible through online and television shopping networks,” said Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor.
“This is an endeavour to leverage an existing potential opportunity within the ever-popular fashion theme. Celebrities play an influential role in modern culture and consumption patterns, serving as arbiters of taste, style and public opinion the world over. Given the popularity of Balaji’s soaps and serials the ‘EK’ fashion label is set to make a mark with Indian audiences across the globe,” added Balaji Telefilms group CEO Sameer Nair.
Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
