Fiction
Keshet International’s ‘Master Class’ builds momentum in Europe
MUMBAI: It’s time for some transformation. Keshet International’s kids singing format Master Class is making steady progress in Europe with a new sale in Slovenia, a stellar launch in Greece and a third season commission in Hungary.
The talent show, in which children sing all-time popular songs with only positive reviews and no eliminations, will be produced locally in Slovenia by Paprika Latino for Planet TV; it will also be available on a dedicated channel on Telekom Slovenia. A 12 episode series is planned in the first season for 2015.
The news follows the show’s recent launch on MegaTV channel in Greece where it became the leading show of the night in prime time, achieving a 33.5 per cent share in the channel’s target group (15 – 44) and an increase of 50 per cent on the same slot a month earlier.
Hungary’s TV2 has commissioned a third series of the show, following ratings in excess of a 250 per cent increase on the average for its timeslot. Master Class will also soon launch a first season of 12 x 90 episodes on Beijing Satellite TV in China following a co-development deal with 3C Media.
So what is the reason behind the expansion? Entitled School of Music in Israel and produced by Tedy Productions, headed by Tmira Yardeni, the children’s singing show became a breakthrough hit on Keshet Broadcasting Channel 2 making it the highest-rated talent show to appear in Israel and the second highest rated show of 2011, with a season average of 48.1 per cent share and 32.5 per cent rating.
Background
Master Class is a music talent show where children sing popular songs with only positive reviews and without elimination. It has become a critically acclaimed programme that taps into the global trend of family viewing because of its warm and humane approach.
It avoids the intrigue and harsh judgment of a ruthless competition, focusing on the nurturing relationships formed between the teachers and their young students, as they become familiar with the country’s rich musical history and cultural heritage.
The 16 stars of the show are children aged 8-14, with the most promising voices in the country. Four teachers – leading artists in the music industry – train them to make the most of their potential and become the best singers they can. The program is set at the music school and its auditorium, where the weekly performances take place. Towards the end of the season the best student in each performance is awarded a place in the graduation show. Six sing for the last time in front of the committee, where one will be selected as the best in the class.
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.
