Fiction
Big Synergy appoints Rajiv Bakshi as CEO
MUMBAI: Reliance Entertainment's Big Synergy Media Ltd has appointed Rajiv Bakshi as its chief executive officer.
At Big Synergy, Bakshi will take forward the mantle of enhancing multi-platform reach, driving strategic partnerships & developing the Original Content portfolio.
Speaking about his new role, Bakshi said, “I am incredibly excited to join Big Synergy at this stage of the company's evolution into scripted shows, along with the non-scripted content. Content will fuel the next wave of growth in media. India is one of the rare markets where both television broadcast and OTT platforms continue to demonstrate robust growth. I am passionate about transformative disruptions that change consumer behaviour and will strive to create a competitive advantage and long-term value for the business and our esteemed clients.”
On the development, Reliance Entertainment group COO Shibasish Sarkar said, “We are happy to have Rajiv on board. He comes with a wealth of experience and domain expertise. With his extensive knowledge across the television and digital medium, we are confident that he will be able to further accelerate the growth of the entertainment sector within the group.”
An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Bakshi comes with over two decades of experience and a proven track record across TV, internet, media, telecom and consumer durable industries. He has a deep understanding of broadcast media & OTT, digital, mobile and FMCG industries.
Previously, Bakshi was the chief marketing officer at Intex Technologies where he led the brand strategy across 4 business verticals – smartphones, electronics, durables and accessories.
Prior to Intex, he was at Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific as VP & Head products & marketing, India & South Asia where he steered strategic development and localisation initiatives for a multi-channel portfolio for Discovery Channel serving 100+ million Pay TV households.
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.
