Fiction
Banijay Brands unveils new licensing deals in Asia
MUMBAI: Banijay Brands has announced a range of new licensing agreements Mr Bean, MasterChef and Simon’s Cat in Asia, ahead of the region’s week at the festival of licensing.
This year British comedy star Mr Bean celebrates 30 years of continual distribution and to mark the occasion, Banijay Brands has partnered with Bzmedia to open licensed bubble tea stores in China, where up 22 stores have launched across various cities and further expansion is expected. The company is joining forces with Hong Kong-based manufacturer and distributor, Toyeast, and partnering with BMW to produce a die cast model of Mr Bean’s classic Mini and plush products based on the iconic character have been renewed with Kin Hsing in Taiwan. Mr Bean is represented by four agencies, Asiana, Black White Orange, MediaLink and Empire in Asia.
For global culinary hit MasterChef, a new cookware, tableware and kitchenware range will be available in Indonesia on online retail store for household products, dusdusan.com in 2021, in a deal with Indonesian company PT Homeco. This news follows the recent launch of MasterChef hand blenders in South Korea with SJ Trend.
Other existing business in this key region includes continued growth for animated hit Simon’s Cat through three agencies CLICK!, Block 12 and Enpop. South Korean agency Enpop are growing awareness for the brand through a partnership with Samsung for licensed digital accessories such as wallpaper designs for Samsung handset users worldwide.
This follows recent deals in south Korea including Simon’s Cat plush toys with Nooritoys and mobile phone case accessories with OGA Prince, as well as an apparel deal in China with Quanshang. The mischievous cat will feature across various locations of 9 Lives Cat Clinic in Hong Kong in a partnership across three years.
Banijay Brands brand licensing GD Jane Smith said, “These extensions for Mr Bean, MasterChef and Simon’s Cat are great examples of how we can offer fans a variety of ways to enjoy their favourite brands beyond the screen. This region continues to be a significant market for our growth and it’s brilliant to announce these deals at the festival of licensing’s Asia week.”
The Banijay Brands portfolio includes MasterChef, Temptation Island, Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, The Inbetweeners, Big Brother, Mister Maker, Operation Triunfo, Eat Well for Less, Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, Don’t, Sunday Brunch, Tipping Point, The Biggest Loser, Ready Steady Cook, Black Mirror, Miss France, Maddie’s Do You Know?, Wipeout and Crystal Maze.
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.
