Fiction
DirecTV orders ‘Kingdom’ from Byron Balasco and Endemol Studios
MUMBAI: DirecTV, one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment has ordered an additional 20 episodes of the critically acclaimed premier of Kingdom. It has proven to be one of audience network’s most popular shows of all time.
DirecTV has bought the series from creator Byron Balasco (Detroit 1-8-7) and Endemol Studios (Hell on Wheels, Low Winter Sun, Red Widow). Series creator Balasco is the executive producer and showrunner. Kingdom is produced by Endemol Studios. The series is distributed internationally by Endemol Worldwide Distribution.
Production on the new order is expected to begin in spring 2015, with the first batch of 10 episodes set to air on DirecTV’s Audience Network that fall. The following 10 episodes will air in 2016.
Kingdom is a visceral family saga that takes place in Venice, California and is set against the backdrop of the renegade subculture of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). It is a world rife with complex characters and relationships that unfurl in surprising and deeply human ways. The next 20 episodes will continue to focus on the characters portrayed by Frank
Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Warrior), Kiele Sanchez (The Purge; Lost), Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights), Jonathan Tucker (Parenthood), Nick Jonas and Joanna Going (House of Cards; Mad Men).
“DirecTV could not be more thrilled by the response that last week’s premiere of Kingdom elicited from both critics and our viewers,” said DirecTV SVP original content and production Chris Long. “The series very clearly resonated with DirecTV’s subscribers and we eagerly anticipate sharing these additional 20 episodes with them and further exploring the compelling world that Byron Balasco has created.”
Agreeing to him, writer/creator Balasco said: “I want to thank DirecTV and Endemol Studios for their passion and support for the show. I truly couldn’t ask for better creative partners. I’m excited to get back to work with my incredible cast and crew.”
“Knowing that Kingdom will be on the schedule for years to come is a milestone. Getting an additional 20 episodes is a great testament to Kingdom, to Byron’s talent as a writer and show runner and to our cast and crew,” stated Endemol Studios CEO Philippe Maigret. “We are fortunate to have a show that premiered out of the gate to critical acclaim. We are grateful to DirecTV for being a supportive partner. This speaks volumes to the DirecTV subscribers and fans of the show who are on this journey with us.”
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.
