Fiction
Fremantlemedia international renews deal with Ash Atalla’s Roughcut television
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia International (FMI), the global distribution division of FremantleMedia, one of the largest creators, producers and distributors of television entertainment brands in the world, had extended its relationship with indie comedy and comedy drama producer Roughcut Television for a further two years, it announced today.
Under the terms of the deal, FremantleMedia International will continue its co-development relationship with Roughcut TV until at least the end of 2015, allowing FMI to distribute all tape sales from Roughcut’s UK commissions, including Trollied, World’s Craziest Fools, Cuckoo and Anna & Katy. The deal also grants FMI the opportunity to exploit format rights for Roughcut Television’s UK-commissioned title, allowing FremantleMedia’s global network of production offices the chance to produce the shows for local markets.
Bob McCourt, Acting CEO, FremantleMedia International, said, “We couldn’t be happier to renew our relationship with Ash and his team for the next two years. Roughcut TV produces some of the best-known comedies in the UK and they work perfectly for FremantleMedia International’s audiences. We’re looking forward to working together to exploit our back catalogue, as well as work on new titles coming through the pipeline.”
Ash Atalla, founder and Managing Director Roughcut Television added: “FremantleMedia are like the clever and popular mate you never had at school. They speak loads of languages, know the right people all over the world and give you the best advice. I wish I’d met FremantleMedia when I was 15, but this will have to do.”
Established in 2007 by Ash Atalla, Roughcut TV is one of the UK’s fastest growing independent television production companies. Specialising in scripted comedy and entertainment, the production house is best known for producing the multi award winning series’ The Office and The IT Crowd, and enjoyed record-breaking success with the supermarket based sitcom Trollied (Sky 1), which debuted with two million viewers – the highest rating multi-channel comedy launch in British TV history. Other Roughcut titles include the BBC 3 hits Cuckoo – which achieved the channel’s biggest comedy launch when it debuted last year – and World’s Craziest Fools starring Mr. T; sketch show Anna and Katy (Channel 4) and the cult hit mockumentary People Just Do Nothing (BBC 3).
FremantleMedia International will be bringing the second season of Cuckoo to MIPTV this year, starring Hollywood A-lister, Taylor Lautner.
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.
