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Banijay Brands, WP Brands partner up for two global hit shows
MUMBAI: Banijay Brands has appointed brand management agency WP Brands to represent Peaky Blinders and Simon’s Cat in Australia and New Zealand, as part of the continued expansion of its brand footprint.
Global hit Peaky Blinders is a BAFTA award-winning BBC One series created and written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and Locke) and produced by official brand owner, Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Productions. Season five aired on BBC One last year and delivered the show’s highest ratings yet. The series has been televised in more than 183 countries, as is available for streaming on Netflix.
Simon’s Cat is a worldwide phenomenon, viewed in over 100 countries, with 7 million fans on Facebook, 2 million followers on Instagram, and more than a billion views on YouTube.
Created by award-winning illustrator, animator and director, Simon Tofied, Simon’s Cat features the hilarious antics of a mischievous white feline and his long-suffering owner Simon. First posted on YouTube in 2008, the Simon’s Cat brand scored international success across multiple categories including gaming, publishing and apparel. There have been more than 80 million digital sticker downloads and in excess of 18 million mobile gaming downloads with further titles in development.
Banijay Brands brand licensing group director Smith said, “WP Brands has a stellar reputation and we are thrilled to now partner with the business on these hugely popular brands. We have a shared passion and belief in the appeal for customers in Australia and New Zealand.”
WP Brands MD Lim Mi-Kyoung said, “WP Brands is excited to be working alongside a phenomenal media partner like Banijay Brands and we are looking forward to further building on the consumer products offering in our market. We can’t wait to bring fans more opportunities to engage with these two exciting and wildly popular brands.’’
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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.
