Fiction
Disney launches enterprise marketing arm, Asad Ayaz named CMO
CALIFORNIA: The Walt Disney Company has pressed refresh on how it tells its story. The entertainment giant has announced a new enterprise-wide marketing and brand organisation, aimed at bringing its vast stable of businesses under one creative and strategic umbrella. Leading the charge is long-time Disney executive Asad Ayaz, newly appointed chief marketing and brand officer.
The move signals a push for greater harmony across Disney’s many worlds, from films and streaming to theme parks and sports. By aligning marketing teams more closely, the company hopes to speak with a clearer, more connected voice as it engages audiences around the globe.
The Walt Disney Company chief executive officer Bob Iger, said the new role reflects how consumer expectations have changed. “Over more than two decades at the company, Asad has helped bring the magic of Disney to life for millions,” he said. “As our businesses evolve, we need a company-wide approach that ensures brand consistency and allows consumers to move seamlessly across our products and experiences.”
Ayaz is no stranger to the spotlight behind the scenes. He steps into the new role after eight years as president of marketing for The Walt Disney Studios, where he also led marketing for Disney+. Since 2023, he has served as Disney’s first chief brand officer, overseeing global brand strategy, alliances and major events, while acting as a steward of the company’s most iconic franchises.
Disney’s top leadership across entertainment, experiences and sports were united in their praise. In a joint statement, Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro described Ayaz as “an exceptional creative leader” with the rare ability to blend strategy, operations and storytelling.
The newly formed organisation will build on that foundation, pooling shared capabilities and modern marketing tools to create faster, more agile campaigns. The aim is simple but ambitious: stronger connections with consumers and a more coherent Disney presence across every touchpoint.
In his new role, Ayaz will report directly to Iger and work closely with the company’s segment chairs, ensuring that while each business retains its own spark, they all shine as part of the same constellation.
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.
