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Bomanbridge Media seals kids program deals
MUMBAI: Singapore-based production and distribution agency Bomanbridge Media has sealed deals for several popular kids’ programs.
Bec World in Thailand acquired Learn to Draw Minis & Wild About Cartoons, produced by Norway’s Earthtree Media; and EBS in South Korea takes YOUniverse & Alphabet Stories, produced by Victory Arts and distributed by D360 internationally.
“Bomanbridge is a leading distributor of fun, educational programming in Asia and we are pleased to close these deals with our broadcast partners in Thailand and South Korea. With the importance of children’s education in a market boasting such a young demographic, Learn to Draw, Wild About Cartoons, Alphabet Stories, and YOUniverse are sure to inspire creativity among our young audiences,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.
Kid’s creativity guru Einstein Kristiansen hosts Learn To Draw Minis, an animated step-by-step drawing show. Each one-minute animation shows how to draw a cartoon from start to finish – and they even come to life. Themes include pets, wild animals, people, sport, vehicles, dinosaurs, fantasy creatures and more; while Wild About Cartoons, also hosted by Kristiansen, follow him as he travels to a far-away destination to see exotic animals. Back in the studio, he demonstrates how to draw them.
Alphabet Stories is a creative series of short mixed media videos for preschool kids. Each episode showcases a variety of words that start with a letter from the alphabet. After the introduction of each letter, a fun story is told that encompasses all the words into one wild, wacky and imaginative tale.
YOUniverse – While asking the question “What does your universe look like?” the showcases space exploration from the perspective of a child, through a series of educational mixed media interstitial shorts loaded with beautiful visuals and scientific facts. Each episode starts with a child describing their perfect planet, star or thing to do in space. With the unique imaginations of each child this series uses specific art styles to compliment the child’s imagination as well as the story they tell.
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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.
