Exclusive: Big Brother seller Banijay Rights has signed a former BBC Worldwide Director as the head of its sales and co-pros in German-speaking territories.
Isabelle Helle joins in the SVP German-Speaking Territories and Poland post to oversee a crucial clutch of territories for the French-headquartered sales powerhouse. The team has had a slight rejig. Helle’s predecessor, Veronique Verges, was previously SVP German-Speaking Territories, Poland & Hungary, before leaving at the end of March.
Helle is a former Director of BBC Worldwide Germany and has most recently been running her own consultancy, managing various domestic and international projects including high-end co-production deals.
Run by Cathy Payne, Banijay Rights has an 185,000-hour strong catalog that includes the likes of Big Brother, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror.
Based in Cologne, Helle will report into Claire Jago, EVP Emea Sales and Acquisitions, Banijay, who said: “Isabelle is an extremely well-respected sales executive with...
Isabelle Helle joins in the SVP German-Speaking Territories and Poland post to oversee a crucial clutch of territories for the French-headquartered sales powerhouse. The team has had a slight rejig. Helle’s predecessor, Veronique Verges, was previously SVP German-Speaking Territories, Poland & Hungary, before leaving at the end of March.
Helle is a former Director of BBC Worldwide Germany and has most recently been running her own consultancy, managing various domestic and international projects including high-end co-production deals.
Run by Cathy Payne, Banijay Rights has an 185,000-hour strong catalog that includes the likes of Big Brother, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror.
Based in Cologne, Helle will report into Claire Jago, EVP Emea Sales and Acquisitions, Banijay, who said: “Isabelle is an extremely well-respected sales executive with...
- 5/9/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The boss of Mediawan has praised the “very smart” buying community who in recent years have moved on from a domineering TV rights position.
The industry has changed in the past three or four years due to various “constraints,” Elisabeth d’Arvieu explained at MIPTV, as she also delved into detail about how her Count of Monte Cristo seller has become more “agile.”
“Commissioners have been very helpful,” she said. “Three to four years ago they were taking all rights worldwide and we had no other solution [than to accept], but now because of the constraints they have been very smart and are willing to work on windowing or a geographic split.”
D’Arvieu, whose French major owns the likes of Brad Pitt’s Plan B, cited examples such as Netflix co-producing with Finland’s Yle, which “we wouldn’t have seen maybe three years ago.”
On the drive for co-productions, she said...
The industry has changed in the past three or four years due to various “constraints,” Elisabeth d’Arvieu explained at MIPTV, as she also delved into detail about how her Count of Monte Cristo seller has become more “agile.”
“Commissioners have been very helpful,” she said. “Three to four years ago they were taking all rights worldwide and we had no other solution [than to accept], but now because of the constraints they have been very smart and are willing to work on windowing or a geographic split.”
D’Arvieu, whose French major owns the likes of Brad Pitt’s Plan B, cited examples such as Netflix co-producing with Finland’s Yle, which “we wouldn’t have seen maybe three years ago.”
On the drive for co-productions, she said...
- 4/8/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Lille, France — The big news at Series Mania was Warner Bros. Discovery’s European roll-out timeline for Max, announced Thursday at the climax of the Series Mania’s Lille Dialogues.
The most keenly anticipated session was nearly Series Mania’ Forum first: a Netflix showcase hosted by a confident Larry Tanz who significantly proved the only goal streamer exec to drill down on volume commitment.
Nobody was saying at Series Mania the industry is in an easy place. But signs at this year’s edition that, at least in Europe, business may be turning a corner, or at least has the corner in sight. The newest normal will be a far cry from the peak TV of old, however.
Final attendance soared to 4,200 at the Forum, an all-time record. That’s hardly surprising. “You have all the French broadcasters there, a lot of European public broadcasters, a few Scandinavian commercial channels and some platforms.
The most keenly anticipated session was nearly Series Mania’ Forum first: a Netflix showcase hosted by a confident Larry Tanz who significantly proved the only goal streamer exec to drill down on volume commitment.
Nobody was saying at Series Mania the industry is in an easy place. But signs at this year’s edition that, at least in Europe, business may be turning a corner, or at least has the corner in sight. The newest normal will be a far cry from the peak TV of old, however.
Final attendance soared to 4,200 at the Forum, an all-time record. That’s hardly surprising. “You have all the French broadcasters there, a lot of European public broadcasters, a few Scandinavian commercial channels and some platforms.
- 3/22/2024
- by John Hopewell, Elsa Keslassy, Marta Balaga and Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
There are few better places than Series Mania’s industry Forum to gauge the mood of the scripted TV industry. For three concentrated days this week, execs from the international TV business gathered in Lille to talk business, scout for shows and to swap ideas.
Screen distills the key conversation points from the 2024 edition.
Survive till 2025
The weather was bright this year in Lille, but the conversations were often darker. For many, 2023 was tough because of US strikes, economic uncertainty and a commissioning slowdown. If anything, 2024 is tougher still. The mood among the UK contingent was particularly bleak. “I don...
Screen distills the key conversation points from the 2024 edition.
Survive till 2025
The weather was bright this year in Lille, but the conversations were often darker. For many, 2023 was tough because of US strikes, economic uncertainty and a commissioning slowdown. If anything, 2024 is tougher still. The mood among the UK contingent was particularly bleak. “I don...
- 3/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here. We’ve been out in force in France this week. To read about our travels, plus plenty more, scroll down, and sign up here.
All That Mania
‘So Long, Marianne’ star Alex Wolff (left) with Series Mania boss Laurence Herszberg
Netflix pulls ahead: Anything but doom and gloom this week at the Lille Series Mania confab, which was buzzy as ever, cementing its place as a must-not-miss event in the ever-crowded TV market calendar. Big stars including Patricia Arquette, Jeremy Irons and Michael Chiklis headed to the city in northern France to tout wares and talk shop. Netflix execs were out in full force, pushing hard against the cross-industry contraction narrative by unveiling dozens of shows in the weeks leading up to the market — and unveiling two more, starring Isabelle Adjani and Famke Janssen — at its showcase. At a time when local content is being rowed back,...
All That Mania
‘So Long, Marianne’ star Alex Wolff (left) with Series Mania boss Laurence Herszberg
Netflix pulls ahead: Anything but doom and gloom this week at the Lille Series Mania confab, which was buzzy as ever, cementing its place as a must-not-miss event in the ever-crowded TV market calendar. Big stars including Patricia Arquette, Jeremy Irons and Michael Chiklis headed to the city in northern France to tout wares and talk shop. Netflix execs were out in full force, pushing hard against the cross-industry contraction narrative by unveiling dozens of shows in the weeks leading up to the market — and unveiling two more, starring Isabelle Adjani and Famke Janssen — at its showcase. At a time when local content is being rowed back,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
At Series Mania Thursday, Cathy Payne, CEO of distributor Banijay Rights, said it is “tough out there” in the post-peak market for scripted content.
“It is challenging to fund scripted, especially at the high-end. In a market where a couple of years ago you may have been able to take a larger risk now you want to see that underpinned,” she said. “In general, with the market and the changes, people are more conservative; there is not as much risk-taking.”
She added: “When we look at financing a show it’s not about getting the money to make season one, I have to think about how we are going to fund this for three to five seasons.”
Payne said, in this climate, “you just have to find a way of working through.” She added: “As someone once said to me, ‘You’ve kind of just got to be scrappy.’ You’ve just got to think,...
“It is challenging to fund scripted, especially at the high-end. In a market where a couple of years ago you may have been able to take a larger risk now you want to see that underpinned,” she said. “In general, with the market and the changes, people are more conservative; there is not as much risk-taking.”
She added: “When we look at financing a show it’s not about getting the money to make season one, I have to think about how we are going to fund this for three to five seasons.”
Payne said, in this climate, “you just have to find a way of working through.” She added: “As someone once said to me, ‘You’ve kind of just got to be scrappy.’ You’ve just got to think,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The boss of one of the world’s biggest TV distributors has predicted streamers will return to commissioning originals in bulk once they “break even.”
Cathy Payne, who runs Big Brother and Black Mirror seller Banijay Rights, said there is “no doubt” the deep-pocketed U.S. giants are currently ordering less originals, preferring to strike alternative deals such as “enhanced pre-sale acquisitions.”
“It’s well documented that streamers have had difficulty in reaching their targets and streamers launching in markets has been tough economically, with high interest rates and so on,” she added. “There is no doubt the streamers are commissioning less originals and are rather looking for enhanced pre-sales acquisitions till they get to a point where they’re breaking even, then they’ll come back with more originals.”
Payne added: “It’s not subscribers at any cost, services have to make money.”
Payne backed up Netflix Emea boss...
Cathy Payne, who runs Big Brother and Black Mirror seller Banijay Rights, said there is “no doubt” the deep-pocketed U.S. giants are currently ordering less originals, preferring to strike alternative deals such as “enhanced pre-sale acquisitions.”
“It’s well documented that streamers have had difficulty in reaching their targets and streamers launching in markets has been tough economically, with high interest rates and so on,” she added. “There is no doubt the streamers are commissioning less originals and are rather looking for enhanced pre-sales acquisitions till they get to a point where they’re breaking even, then they’ll come back with more originals.”
Payne added: “It’s not subscribers at any cost, services have to make money.”
Payne backed up Netflix Emea boss...
- 3/21/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,” formats “Upside Down” and “Shaolin Heroes” and premium doc feature “Front Row,” offering a novel take on the Ukraine War, are potential highlights on Banijay’s powerhouse lineup at what promises to be one of the biggest presentations at next week’s London TV Screenings.
Mixing third-party pick-ups and Banijay productions, further scripted titles take in second seasons of two Banijay hits, the sumptuous and revisionist “Marie Antoinette,” and “Rogue Heroes,” a big WWII special ops adventure story which hit high ratings on BBC.
Unspooling over Wednesday Feb. 28 at BAFTA in three sessions, dedicated to factual, scripted and then formats, the Banijay@BAFTA lineup, as last year, the spread will give audiences a chance to catch up with high-concept adventure reality “The Summit” and “Deal or No Deal Island,” described as an “epic” recast of the format.
Banijay’s lineup features some big names on the current U.
Mixing third-party pick-ups and Banijay productions, further scripted titles take in second seasons of two Banijay hits, the sumptuous and revisionist “Marie Antoinette,” and “Rogue Heroes,” a big WWII special ops adventure story which hit high ratings on BBC.
Unspooling over Wednesday Feb. 28 at BAFTA in three sessions, dedicated to factual, scripted and then formats, the Banijay@BAFTA lineup, as last year, the spread will give audiences a chance to catch up with high-concept adventure reality “The Summit” and “Deal or No Deal Island,” described as an “epic” recast of the format.
Banijay’s lineup features some big names on the current U.
- 2/22/2024
- by John Hopewell and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Banijay Rights has scored a first batch of sales on “Fallen,” a crime drama reuniting “The Bridge” showrunner Camilla Ahlgren and star Sofia Helini. The series is produced by Banijay-owned Filmlance, a leading Scandinavian outfit.
Unveiled at the Goteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision conference, deals on “Fallen” include Canal+’s channel Polar+ in France, MHz Choice in the U.S., Npo in the Netherlands, Sbs in Australia, Ert in Greece and Syn Hf in Iceland.
Created and written by Ahlgren along with Martin Asphaug and Alex Haridi, the six-part series stars Helin (“Atlantic Crossing”) and Hedda Stiernstedt. The show is co-produced by TV4, Film i Skåne and Filmlance, in collaboration with Zdf.
In “Fallen,” Helin plays Iris Broman, the new head of Kalla Fall, a group solving cold cases in Malmö. Iris has just left Stockholm following a tragedy and moved to the small southern town of Ystad,...
Unveiled at the Goteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision conference, deals on “Fallen” include Canal+’s channel Polar+ in France, MHz Choice in the U.S., Npo in the Netherlands, Sbs in Australia, Ert in Greece and Syn Hf in Iceland.
Created and written by Ahlgren along with Martin Asphaug and Alex Haridi, the six-part series stars Helin (“Atlantic Crossing”) and Hedda Stiernstedt. The show is co-produced by TV4, Film i Skåne and Filmlance, in collaboration with Zdf.
In “Fallen,” Helin plays Iris Broman, the new head of Kalla Fall, a group solving cold cases in Malmö. Iris has just left Stockholm following a tragedy and moved to the small southern town of Ystad,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
A fourth season of “Mr. Bean: The Animated Series” is set to return worldwide in 2025.
Banijay’s Tiger Aspect Kids & Family has commissioned the series in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Itvx, via deals agreed by Banijay Rights.
Executive produced and voiced by Rowan Atkinson, Season 4 will comprise 52 x 11’ episodes, bringing the total number of episodes across all series to 182 x 11-minutes. It will air on Cartoonito and HBO Max across Europe, the Middle East and Africa on Warner Bros. Discovery’s kids channels and streaming services across Southeast Asia and South Asia, and on Itvx Kids in the U.K. and Ireland from 2025, which marks the 35th anniversary of the first live-action episode.
The animation follows the antics of Mr. Bean and Teddy, as they embark on a series of adventures, making plenty of mischief along the way. Produced by Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, managing director Tom Beattie is also an executive producer.
Banijay’s Tiger Aspect Kids & Family has commissioned the series in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Itvx, via deals agreed by Banijay Rights.
Executive produced and voiced by Rowan Atkinson, Season 4 will comprise 52 x 11’ episodes, bringing the total number of episodes across all series to 182 x 11-minutes. It will air on Cartoonito and HBO Max across Europe, the Middle East and Africa on Warner Bros. Discovery’s kids channels and streaming services across Southeast Asia and South Asia, and on Itvx Kids in the U.K. and Ireland from 2025, which marks the 35th anniversary of the first live-action episode.
The animation follows the antics of Mr. Bean and Teddy, as they embark on a series of adventures, making plenty of mischief along the way. Produced by Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, managing director Tom Beattie is also an executive producer.
- 1/4/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Europe’s major players in TV and film attending Mipcom Cannes sensed a wave of opportunity coming at them from across the Atlantic, as Hollywood muddles through a period of strategic uncertainty and steep losses from the transition to streaming platforms.
The extended labor strife in the U.S. this year, with the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA waging historic and concurrent strikes, has Euro producers touting the appeal of lensing on the continent with a strong pool of skilled talent accustomed to working at much lower price points.
Also looming over Mipcom was the intense security protocol deployed around the Palais and headlines of bomb scares in France. The country has been on high alert in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the murder of a high school teacher a few days later. Despite the tense geo-political backdrop, the overall mood of marketgoers seemed livelier than last year,...
The extended labor strife in the U.S. this year, with the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA waging historic and concurrent strikes, has Euro producers touting the appeal of lensing on the continent with a strong pool of skilled talent accustomed to working at much lower price points.
Also looming over Mipcom was the intense security protocol deployed around the Palais and headlines of bomb scares in France. The country has been on high alert in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the murder of a high school teacher a few days later. Despite the tense geo-political backdrop, the overall mood of marketgoers seemed livelier than last year,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton, Elsa Keslassy and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Bye-bye, Peak TV. After more than a decade of unprecedented production growth, the international television industry is bracing for an era of tighter budgets and more bean counting.
“Instead of subscriber growth at all costs, now the focus is on production and investment and getting the balance sheet right,” says Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, the sales arm of the production giant behind reality TV hits Big Brother and high-end dramas Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror. “I hate using the phrase because everyone says it, but the focus now is on ‘fewer, better, bigger shows.’ ”
The variety of shows on offer at this year’s global TV market in Cannes, MIPCOM, suggests every buyer, at every budget, should find something to fill their slots. And while THR’s annual hot list of the market’s best new drama series ranges from a by-the-book NBC procedural to an erotic comedy...
“Instead of subscriber growth at all costs, now the focus is on production and investment and getting the balance sheet right,” says Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, the sales arm of the production giant behind reality TV hits Big Brother and high-end dramas Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror. “I hate using the phrase because everyone says it, but the focus now is on ‘fewer, better, bigger shows.’ ”
The variety of shows on offer at this year’s global TV market in Cannes, MIPCOM, suggests every buyer, at every budget, should find something to fill their slots. And while THR’s annual hot list of the market’s best new drama series ranges from a by-the-book NBC procedural to an erotic comedy...
- 10/15/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Ocsar-nominated Shine director Scott Hicks’ projects about musician Ben Folds have been taken on for distribution by Banijay Rights.
The director’s features will world-premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival later this month and see Hicks combine with celebrated producers Kerry Heysen and Jett Heysen-Hicks.
Inspired by the 25th anniversary of Shine, which starred Geoffrey Rush as a pianist who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions, The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process explores the power of the musical brain. Hicks reveals the creative process of elite international musicians focusing on Shine subject David Helfgott, Australian rock star Daniel Johns, Shine star Simon Tedeschi and Folds.
The latter is the subject of My Name’s Ben Folds, I Play Piano, a symphonic concert spectacle featuring the Emmy-nominated composer with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The film offers unique coverage of the rock pianist including the creation of a new song from scratch,...
The director’s features will world-premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival later this month and see Hicks combine with celebrated producers Kerry Heysen and Jett Heysen-Hicks.
Inspired by the 25th anniversary of Shine, which starred Geoffrey Rush as a pianist who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions, The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process explores the power of the musical brain. Hicks reveals the creative process of elite international musicians focusing on Shine subject David Helfgott, Australian rock star Daniel Johns, Shine star Simon Tedeschi and Folds.
The latter is the subject of My Name’s Ben Folds, I Play Piano, a symphonic concert spectacle featuring the Emmy-nominated composer with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The film offers unique coverage of the rock pianist including the creation of a new song from scratch,...
- 10/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The long-foretold end of Peak TV may be upon us, as studios and streamers — adjusting to a new world of inflation, higher interest rates, and a slowdown in stock prices and subscriber figures — slash costs and reevaluate strategy. The result, whether at Warner Bros. Discovery (which has already taken $3.5 billion in content write-downs and canceled several planned or in-production series) or at the BBC (which needs to chop more than $120 million from its originals budget if it is to meet savings targets) will mean less money for producers and, one assumes, fewer shows getting commissioned.
Nonscripted content, which is cheaper and easier to ramp up to fill programming slots, will be the most obvious beneficiary of this belt-tightening, with much of the focus of the upcoming MIPTV market on less glamorous but typically more profitable reality TV, “shiny floor” entertainment (à la The Voice) and game shows.
“It’s always...
Nonscripted content, which is cheaper and easier to ramp up to fill programming slots, will be the most obvious beneficiary of this belt-tightening, with much of the focus of the upcoming MIPTV market on less glamorous but typically more profitable reality TV, “shiny floor” entertainment (à la The Voice) and game shows.
“It’s always...
- 4/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If Hollywood writers go on strike — a possibility as we close in on the May 1 deadline without a new deal between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the impact will be felt far beyond New York and Los Angeles. Around the world, producers and distribution companies, not to mention non-wga affiliated writers, are closely watching the ongoing negotiations, with an expectation that a WGA walkout could mean a boost in demand for new international content.
“As with previous WGA strikes, we’d expect there will be an increased demand for content from outside the U.S., particularly from English-speaking countries like the U.K. and Australia,” says Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben of German mini-major Constantin Film, producers of the English-language Resident Evil horror franchise as well as German films and series including We Children From Bahnhof Zoo, which streams on Amazon,...
“As with previous WGA strikes, we’d expect there will be an increased demand for content from outside the U.S., particularly from English-speaking countries like the U.K. and Australia,” says Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben of German mini-major Constantin Film, producers of the English-language Resident Evil horror franchise as well as German films and series including We Children From Bahnhof Zoo, which streams on Amazon,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Scott Roxborough and Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Banijay, All3Media, Fremantle and Zdf Studios execs discuss streamer deals, writers’ strike worries and a ‘reset’ of scripted market on Series Mania panel.
Global streamers are becoming more flexible about rights deals, according to senior execs from Banijay, All3Media, Fremantle and Zdf Studios speaking on a panel at Series Mania.
For many years, major streamers would often insist on taking worldwide rights for series. But this has changed, according to Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights.
“As [the streamers] get to know their audiences incredibly well, combining with balancing their financials, we are seeing there are certain shows they are commissioning...
Global streamers are becoming more flexible about rights deals, according to senior execs from Banijay, All3Media, Fremantle and Zdf Studios speaking on a panel at Series Mania.
For many years, major streamers would often insist on taking worldwide rights for series. But this has changed, according to Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights.
“As [the streamers] get to know their audiences incredibly well, combining with balancing their financials, we are seeing there are certain shows they are commissioning...
- 3/22/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Top International execs from Zdf Studios, Fremantle, All3Media and Banijay have said the potential U.S. writers strike and changing market economics can create opportunities to strike new business.
As Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne put it, likening the challenging of leaving previous market conditions behind to bouncing back after being dumped: “When one door closes, another one opens.” She was talking during a Series Mania panel on windowing and content financing this afternoon in France.
International distribution companies are already wrestling with myriad content financing issues as the U.S. market corrects after streamers’ spending momentum slows. All eyes are now turning to the discussions between the WGA and AMPTP, and one potential upshot if a strike kicks off will likely be more international business for U.S. networks.
All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen said U.S. execs at the London TV Screenings at the start of the month had begun considering contingency plans.
As Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne put it, likening the challenging of leaving previous market conditions behind to bouncing back after being dumped: “When one door closes, another one opens.” She was talking during a Series Mania panel on windowing and content financing this afternoon in France.
International distribution companies are already wrestling with myriad content financing issues as the U.S. market corrects after streamers’ spending momentum slows. All eyes are now turning to the discussions between the WGA and AMPTP, and one potential upshot if a strike kicks off will likely be more international business for U.S. networks.
All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen said U.S. execs at the London TV Screenings at the start of the month had begun considering contingency plans.
- 3/21/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
French pay TV group Canal+ has ordered a second season of its dazzling historical drama “Marie Antoinette.” BAFTA-nominated Ed Bazalgette will direct the first four episodes.
While Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”) still on board as creator, season 2’s writing team is led by Louise Ironside, joined by Charlotte Wolf, Francesca Forristal and Andrew Bambfield.
The series, which is being backed by Banijay and Newen, is expected to start filming in the fall. The new season will continue telling the epic story of the avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (“Ku’damm 56/ 63”), with Louis Cunningham (“Bridgerton”) as the king of France, Louis XVI.
Commissioned by Canal+’s Creation Originale unit, the upcoming season will portray how the royal couple at their height of their power faced an unprecedented financial crisis. The incessant attacks of Provence and Chartres against the royal couple stirred up the hatred of the nobles while disastrous consequences.
While Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”) still on board as creator, season 2’s writing team is led by Louise Ironside, joined by Charlotte Wolf, Francesca Forristal and Andrew Bambfield.
The series, which is being backed by Banijay and Newen, is expected to start filming in the fall. The new season will continue telling the epic story of the avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (“Ku’damm 56/ 63”), with Louis Cunningham (“Bridgerton”) as the king of France, Louis XVI.
Commissioned by Canal+’s Creation Originale unit, the upcoming season will portray how the royal couple at their height of their power faced an unprecedented financial crisis. The incessant attacks of Provence and Chartres against the royal couple stirred up the hatred of the nobles while disastrous consequences.
- 3/17/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Lenny Henry’s “Three Little Birds,” Steven Knight’s “This Town” and a first look at “The Summit,” billed as a blockbuster adventure reality series, look like just three highlights of Banijay Rights extensive and wide-ranging lineup at what promises to be one of the biggest presentations at this week’s London TV Screenings.
Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for Sbs, as well as doc feature “Lara.”
Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.
Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,...
Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for Sbs, as well as doc feature “Lara.”
Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.
Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,...
- 2/28/2023
- by John Hopewell and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
After five years of quietly gathering steam within the international TV community, the 2023 edition of the London TV Screenings is its biggest outing yet.
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
- 2/27/2023
- by Tara Conlan
- Variety Film + TV
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content will deliver a keynote at Series Mania’s Lille Dialogues whose one-day summit looks set to take the pulse on a global content industry as content investment flattens and ask how to build a more responsible industry in the future.
Marking an early opportunity to hear from streaming platforms after both Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have announced multi-billion dollar cuts in content investment, the Lille Dialogues also count on a keynote from James Farrell, head of local originals, Prime Video.
Further keynotes will be delivered by top execs at France’s biggest free-to-air service, TF1, as well as its energetic public broadcaster France Télévisions and Europe’s biggest pay TV operator, Sky. Jan Mojto, CEO, Beta Film, can be expected to deliver a wide-angled vision of how stories made in Europe can find a market worldwide.
“With the theme...
Marking an early opportunity to hear from streaming platforms after both Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have announced multi-billion dollar cuts in content investment, the Lille Dialogues also count on a keynote from James Farrell, head of local originals, Prime Video.
Further keynotes will be delivered by top execs at France’s biggest free-to-air service, TF1, as well as its energetic public broadcaster France Télévisions and Europe’s biggest pay TV operator, Sky. Jan Mojto, CEO, Beta Film, can be expected to deliver a wide-angled vision of how stories made in Europe can find a market worldwide.
“With the theme...
- 2/24/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Beyond Rights CEO David Smyth is leaving the UK-based distributor following its parent’s sale to Banijay.
Industry veteran Smyth joined Beyond International’s sales arm in December 2021, selling shows such as Mythbusters around the world.
Banijay swooped to buy Beyond International in October last year and completed the circa-30M deal early this month. Banijay has its own sales arm, Banijay Rights.
A Banijay Rights spokesman confirmed his exit. “David Smyth, CEO, Beyond Rights, will be leaving the business, with his last day being January 31,” he said.
“He joined Beyond Rights in December 2021 and made a significant contribution to the company through his strong and effective leadership. We’d like to thank him for his hard work and commitment to the business and wish him all the best with his future endeavours.
“The move comes as Banijay embarks on integrating Beyond International Limited into its existing group.”
Upon taking full control of Beyond,...
Industry veteran Smyth joined Beyond International’s sales arm in December 2021, selling shows such as Mythbusters around the world.
Banijay swooped to buy Beyond International in October last year and completed the circa-30M deal early this month. Banijay has its own sales arm, Banijay Rights.
A Banijay Rights spokesman confirmed his exit. “David Smyth, CEO, Beyond Rights, will be leaving the business, with his last day being January 31,” he said.
“He joined Beyond Rights in December 2021 and made a significant contribution to the company through his strong and effective leadership. We’d like to thank him for his hard work and commitment to the business and wish him all the best with his future endeavours.
“The move comes as Banijay embarks on integrating Beyond International Limited into its existing group.”
Upon taking full control of Beyond,...
- 1/26/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking with Isidoor Roebers and Lea Fels, partners at Dutch doc producer Scenery, a joint venture with Banijay Benelux that has served up artistic but commercial unscripted projects for everyone from local public broadcaster Npo to Netflix and Prime Video.
Scenery has been one of the Benelux region’s most influential documentary producers for several years, and now it is moving beyond its core Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg operations and into the UK and U.S.
Dutch producer Isidoor Roebers had already launched a company, Fonk Films, but in 2016 teamed with former Vice Media Benelux Head of Production and Head of TV/Editor-in-Chief of Vice TV Lea Fels to create Scenery. The two had met with Roebers was...
Scenery has been one of the Benelux region’s most influential documentary producers for several years, and now it is moving beyond its core Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg operations and into the UK and U.S.
Dutch producer Isidoor Roebers had already launched a company, Fonk Films, but in 2016 teamed with former Vice Media Benelux Head of Production and Head of TV/Editor-in-Chief of Vice TV Lea Fels to create Scenery. The two had met with Roebers was...
- 12/16/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Premium documentaries, co-productions and the changing streamer landscape are set to dominate next week’s Mipcom Cannes as thousands of buyers descend on the Croisette after three years off, according to a wealth of senior sales bosses.
In the lead-up to one of the most highly-anticipated markets for years, Deadline has spoken with Fremantle’s Jens Richter, All3Media International’s Louise Pedersen, Banijay Rights’ Cathy Payne, eOne’s Stuart Baxter and A+E Networks’ Steve MacDonald to assess the state of play before the October 17-20 event.
Each was delighted to be returning in person after three years virtual — last year’s Mipcom was hybrid and pared back — and said there is a renewed optimism, negating the ‘market fatigue’ that has crept up in years gone by.
“People need people and this is a people business,” says Fremantle International CEO Richter. “My main priority is to connect with everybody. Being...
In the lead-up to one of the most highly-anticipated markets for years, Deadline has spoken with Fremantle’s Jens Richter, All3Media International’s Louise Pedersen, Banijay Rights’ Cathy Payne, eOne’s Stuart Baxter and A+E Networks’ Steve MacDonald to assess the state of play before the October 17-20 event.
Each was delighted to be returning in person after three years virtual — last year’s Mipcom was hybrid and pared back — and said there is a renewed optimism, negating the ‘market fatigue’ that has crept up in years gone by.
“People need people and this is a people business,” says Fremantle International CEO Richter. “My main priority is to connect with everybody. Being...
- 10/12/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Banijay has revealed an eco-friendly stand ahead of the 2022 Mipcom market at Cannes.
Located at a prime location in front of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a re-usable construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space including meeting rooms, a reception area, several terraces and hospitality areas.
Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the build uses Cross Laminated Timber – a technology noted for its strength, versatility and sustainability.
The construction will optimize brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ Mipcom team.
All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature plants sourced from a local nursery, the program catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and after the market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.
Located at a prime location in front of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a re-usable construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space including meeting rooms, a reception area, several terraces and hospitality areas.
Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the build uses Cross Laminated Timber – a technology noted for its strength, versatility and sustainability.
The construction will optimize brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ Mipcom team.
All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature plants sourced from a local nursery, the program catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and after the market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.
- 10/5/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: With Mip TV almost underway, Banijay Rights has kicked off the market by picking up the rights to two buzzy BBC formats: The Drop and Extraordinary Portraits.
Both join a hefty Spring slate and will be shopped at the Cannes market, which is taking place from tomorrow for a further two days, to global buyers.
Hosted and exec produced by Grammy-winning recording artist Miguel, The Drop is one of newly-relaunched BBC Three’s premier formats, featuring up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs who go head-to-head to win the chance to have their first clothing line stocked in a major UK retailer.
Meanwhile Extraordinary Portraits, which debuted recently on BBC One, is hosted by UK singer Tinie (formerly known as Tinie Tempah), a passionate art collector who matches members of the public with extraordinary stories to a selection of distinctive and celebrated portrait artists. The artists are then challenged to turn these personal...
Both join a hefty Spring slate and will be shopped at the Cannes market, which is taking place from tomorrow for a further two days, to global buyers.
Hosted and exec produced by Grammy-winning recording artist Miguel, The Drop is one of newly-relaunched BBC Three’s premier formats, featuring up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs who go head-to-head to win the chance to have their first clothing line stocked in a major UK retailer.
Meanwhile Extraordinary Portraits, which debuted recently on BBC One, is hosted by UK singer Tinie (formerly known as Tinie Tempah), a passionate art collector who matches members of the public with extraordinary stories to a selection of distinctive and celebrated portrait artists. The artists are then challenged to turn these personal...
- 4/3/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A palpable sense of excitement has settled upon the English capital’s TV community as the London Screenings prepares to welcome hundreds of buyers next week.
With optimism over the future of Covid and restrictions now virtually all at an end, senior sources say the number of buyers coming from mainly Europe, the U.S. and Australia is exceeding expectations from when the event was first being planned late last year, at a time when Omicron was raging.
“A few weeks ago, the organizers were thinking ‘Oh shit’ but now everyone is excited,” one senior distribution source states plainly. “It’s a snowball effect. When buyers realize the competition is coming, they all want to come.”
The Screenings are organized by a quintet of some of the world’s biggest distributors and are taking place from Monday February 28.
All3Media International, Banijay Rights, ITV Studios, eOne and Fremantle will each host a separate event for buyers,...
With optimism over the future of Covid and restrictions now virtually all at an end, senior sources say the number of buyers coming from mainly Europe, the U.S. and Australia is exceeding expectations from when the event was first being planned late last year, at a time when Omicron was raging.
“A few weeks ago, the organizers were thinking ‘Oh shit’ but now everyone is excited,” one senior distribution source states plainly. “It’s a snowball effect. When buyers realize the competition is coming, they all want to come.”
The Screenings are organized by a quintet of some of the world’s biggest distributors and are taking place from Monday February 28.
All3Media International, Banijay Rights, ITV Studios, eOne and Fremantle will each host a separate event for buyers,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne will return to Australia to deliver the Hector Crawford Memorial Lecture in person at Screen Producers Australia’s (Spa) Screen Forever conference next year.
Payne became the CEO of Banijay Rights in 2020 after the Banijay acquisition of the Endemol Shine Group. Her role sees her steer all distribution for the global giant, including formats Big Brother, Masterchef and Survivor, as well as scripted series such as Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror. Prior to, she was CEO of Endemol Shine International, a role she held since 2014.
Raised on the Central Coast, Nsw, Payne’s career began via chance meeting with an executive from Hanna-Barbera Australia. Working her way through the ranks, Payne would go on to become CEO of Southern Star International. In that role, she was responsible for a number of key deals including the negotiation of the life of series move for Australian hit...
Payne became the CEO of Banijay Rights in 2020 after the Banijay acquisition of the Endemol Shine Group. Her role sees her steer all distribution for the global giant, including formats Big Brother, Masterchef and Survivor, as well as scripted series such as Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror. Prior to, she was CEO of Endemol Shine International, a role she held since 2014.
Raised on the Central Coast, Nsw, Payne’s career began via chance meeting with an executive from Hanna-Barbera Australia. Working her way through the ranks, Payne would go on to become CEO of Southern Star International. In that role, she was responsible for a number of key deals including the negotiation of the life of series move for Australian hit...
- 11/29/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
The field for this year’s Aacta Reg Grundy Award has been announced, bringing together new concepts across gameshows, competition reality, and quizzes.
Australian Graffiti, Boomerang, Pass it On!, Real Teams, and The Second Best Game Show will battle it out for the $50,000 prize, which is designed to grow Australia’s unscripted entertainment through helping fund new formats.
In addition to the $20,000 in cash and $30,000 in development funding offered in 2020, $10,000 will be given to someone under 25 with a TV show pitch that impresses the judges.
Launched in partnership with Grundy’s wife, Rg Capital chairman Joy Chambers-Grundy, the award honours the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the late media icon, whose legacy includes the local production of formats such as Sale of the Century, Blankety Blanks, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Perfect Match, as well as the creation of drama series Sons & Daughters, Prisoner and Neighbours.
Australian Graffiti, Boomerang, Pass it On!, Real Teams, and The Second Best Game Show will battle it out for the $50,000 prize, which is designed to grow Australia’s unscripted entertainment through helping fund new formats.
In addition to the $20,000 in cash and $30,000 in development funding offered in 2020, $10,000 will be given to someone under 25 with a TV show pitch that impresses the judges.
Launched in partnership with Grundy’s wife, Rg Capital chairman Joy Chambers-Grundy, the award honours the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the late media icon, whose legacy includes the local production of formats such as Sale of the Century, Blankety Blanks, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Perfect Match, as well as the creation of drama series Sons & Daughters, Prisoner and Neighbours.
- 11/17/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
A few weeks before Banijay announced its $2.2 billion takeover of Endemol Shine last year, Endemol Shine International’s esteemed distribution chief Cathy Payne stepped down from her role. Her resignation was not directly related to the takeover, she says, but as the months rolled on with the mega-merger, Banijay founder Stéphane Courbit and its CEO Marco Bassetti (whom Payne had previously worked with at Endemol) knew they’d need a seasoned exec who could manage what is now a monster 110,000-hour catalogue of content and global brands including Big Brother and MasterChef.
With Payne’s near 30-year affiliation with Endemol and its subsidiaries, she was the most natural fit to manage the merged distribution engine and across the subsequent months they managed to woo her back into new globe-straddling super producer.
“I just wanted one big, new challenge,” says Payne of her decision to step back into the fold. “When Banijay contacted me,...
With Payne’s near 30-year affiliation with Endemol and its subsidiaries, she was the most natural fit to manage the merged distribution engine and across the subsequent months they managed to woo her back into new globe-straddling super producer.
“I just wanted one big, new challenge,” says Payne of her decision to step back into the fold. “When Banijay contacted me,...
- 10/21/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lifetime/A&e’s upcoming Janet Jackson doc event series is to drop early next year and Banijay Rights has taken global distribution rights to the intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the singer’s untold story.
The distributor has taken all-territory rights to the four-hour series, revealed at this week’s Mipcom in Cannes.
Commemorating 40 years since her debut eponymous album, the show, entitled Janet, is being produced by Banijay-owned UK indie Workerbee.
The label has been filming for the past five years, having been granted exclusive access to archival footage and never-before-seen home videos of the star.
Airing early next year over two nights on both Lifetime and A&e, Janet joins Jackson as her family is going through an extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, and the documentary details Janet Jackson’s return to the...
The distributor has taken all-territory rights to the four-hour series, revealed at this week’s Mipcom in Cannes.
Commemorating 40 years since her debut eponymous album, the show, entitled Janet, is being produced by Banijay-owned UK indie Workerbee.
The label has been filming for the past five years, having been granted exclusive access to archival footage and never-before-seen home videos of the star.
Airing early next year over two nights on both Lifetime and A&e, Janet joins Jackson as her family is going through an extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, and the documentary details Janet Jackson’s return to the...
- 10/11/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
When US-based producer Eden Gaha meets Australians working in unscripted that have made their way over to Los Angeles, he usually tries to hire them.
The former TV host and now president of unscripted at Shine USA told If his two decades of experience across both countries had shown him the value of skills from Down Under.
“There is a lot more reality in mainstream broadcast reality TV here than there is in the US on a ratio basis,” he said.
“Otherwise, the landscapes are relatively similar but I would say Australians do a lot more with a lot less; they’re very talented and very good.
“Whenever I meet Australians who have made their way to the US, I make the point of trying to buy them lunch because to have come up in the ranks in this business in that territory, you’ve pretty much done it all...
The former TV host and now president of unscripted at Shine USA told If his two decades of experience across both countries had shown him the value of skills from Down Under.
“There is a lot more reality in mainstream broadcast reality TV here than there is in the US on a ratio basis,” he said.
“Otherwise, the landscapes are relatively similar but I would say Australians do a lot more with a lot less; they’re very talented and very good.
“Whenever I meet Australians who have made their way to the US, I make the point of trying to buy them lunch because to have come up in the ranks in this business in that territory, you’ve pretty much done it all...
- 9/18/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
As the virtual MipTV gets underway today, we asked 10 television sales chiefs five simple questions about the state of the market after a pandemic-ravaged year. MipTV was one of the first major television events to pivot online during the coronavirus crisis’ first wave in 2020 and, since then, the distribution business has followed suit in its embrace of video calls, virtual showcases, and far fewer flights. The answers of these 10 distribution bosses confirm what we all know: There is no going back to the way things were. Scroll on to see how they plan to emerge from the worst days of the pandemic.
Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights
Is MipTV diminishing in importance amid the London Screenings and the rise of direct-to-customer events?
The role of trade markets has been constantly evolving over recent years, in particular for a company such as Banijay which has distribution offices globally. Linear/non-linear schedules...
Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights
Is MipTV diminishing in importance amid the London Screenings and the rise of direct-to-customer events?
The role of trade markets has been constantly evolving over recent years, in particular for a company such as Banijay which has distribution offices globally. Linear/non-linear schedules...
- 4/12/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: International TV sales chiefs have said MipTV’s waning power has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, which has accelerated the switch to year-round online sales activity and increased the emphasis on local and genre-specific events.
Speaking to Deadline ahead of the virtual MipTV next week, studio bosses acknowledged the continued importance of global markets, but questioned if there is space for two annual showpiece gatherings in Cannes. In response, MipTV organizer Reed Midem said it is always talking to delegates about designing markets to meet industry needs.
The decline of MipTV was in evidence last year, even before the pandemic swept the globe. Amid the increasing importance of local events, such as the London Screenings, studios including Fremantle, Banijay, and ITV Studios pulled out of exhibiting at MipTV in 2020. Major U.S. players like Disney have also long skirted MipTV due to its proximity to the LA Screenings.
Speaking to Deadline ahead of the virtual MipTV next week, studio bosses acknowledged the continued importance of global markets, but questioned if there is space for two annual showpiece gatherings in Cannes. In response, MipTV organizer Reed Midem said it is always talking to delegates about designing markets to meet industry needs.
The decline of MipTV was in evidence last year, even before the pandemic swept the globe. Amid the increasing importance of local events, such as the London Screenings, studios including Fremantle, Banijay, and ITV Studios pulled out of exhibiting at MipTV in 2020. Major U.S. players like Disney have also long skirted MipTV due to its proximity to the LA Screenings.
- 4/9/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Tim Mutimer, Banijay Rights’ executive vice president of Emea, is to become the new CEO of Cineflix Rights.
Mutimer replaces Chris Bonney, who is retiring this year to play golf and travel the world. Mutimer has worked at Banijay Rights for nearly eight years, five of which were as CEO. He moved out of the CEO seat and into the Emea role after the Endemol Shine International merger last year, during which Cathy Payne was installed as his boss.
Mutimer will lead Cineflix Rights’ team of 30 staff, overseeing a roster of shows that includes Apple’s Tehran and ITV/Netflix series Marcella. Cineflix Rights counts Property Brothers and Border Security among its factual success stories.
“Tim has a wealth of experience in the industry, successfully working with producers, broadcasters, and streamers to maximise IP opportunities. We are confident he will lead Cineflix Rights into the next phase of its growth,...
Mutimer replaces Chris Bonney, who is retiring this year to play golf and travel the world. Mutimer has worked at Banijay Rights for nearly eight years, five of which were as CEO. He moved out of the CEO seat and into the Emea role after the Endemol Shine International merger last year, during which Cathy Payne was installed as his boss.
Mutimer will lead Cineflix Rights’ team of 30 staff, overseeing a roster of shows that includes Apple’s Tehran and ITV/Netflix series Marcella. Cineflix Rights counts Property Brothers and Border Security among its factual success stories.
“Tim has a wealth of experience in the industry, successfully working with producers, broadcasters, and streamers to maximise IP opportunities. We are confident he will lead Cineflix Rights into the next phase of its growth,...
- 3/22/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Industry veteran Cathy Payne, former CEO of Endemol Shine, and currently CEO of Banijay Rights, is optimistic about production returning to normal in 2021. But she says the restart should have a pragmatic, Covid-safe approach.
Speaking at the Asian Television Forum, part of the Singapore Media Festival, on Tuesday, Payne said that the Indian version of “Big Brother,” “Bigg Boss,” hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, is currently filming and “Peaky Blinders”-creator Steven Knight’s adaptation of best-selling book “Sas: Rogue Heroes” for BBC One is in the works.
“All these productions have a lot of Covid protocols built in at every stage from pre-production to filming to post,” Payne said. “Maybe there’ll be changes that saves some time, but we don’t know yet. So everyone’s being pragmatic in the way they schedule, which is how they should be. But definitely, everybody wants to get back into production.
Speaking at the Asian Television Forum, part of the Singapore Media Festival, on Tuesday, Payne said that the Indian version of “Big Brother,” “Bigg Boss,” hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, is currently filming and “Peaky Blinders”-creator Steven Knight’s adaptation of best-selling book “Sas: Rogue Heroes” for BBC One is in the works.
“All these productions have a lot of Covid protocols built in at every stage from pre-production to filming to post,” Payne said. “Maybe there’ll be changes that saves some time, but we don’t know yet. So everyone’s being pragmatic in the way they schedule, which is how they should be. But definitely, everybody wants to get back into production.
- 12/3/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to International Insider, I’m Jake Kanter. Happy Thanksgiving to our readers in America. Here’s your weekly recap on all the global film and TV news you need to know this week. Any tips or stories can be sent to jkanter@deadline.com, or my DMs are open. And sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Royal Rumble Over Brexit
Setting the record straight: Brexit is getting closer and it’s starting to become real for producers — sometimes in unexpected ways. Film producer Paul Webster was forced to set the record straight on Thursday following an online furor over the casting of Prince William in the upcoming Kristen Stewart-Princess Diana film Spencer, which is due to shoot in Germany early next year.
Why the fuss? A casting call for the role of William, aged 11, was posted by casting director Amy Hubbard on Twitter this week,...
Royal Rumble Over Brexit
Setting the record straight: Brexit is getting closer and it’s starting to become real for producers — sometimes in unexpected ways. Film producer Paul Webster was forced to set the record straight on Thursday following an online furor over the casting of Prince William in the upcoming Kristen Stewart-Princess Diana film Spencer, which is due to shoot in Germany early next year.
Why the fuss? A casting call for the role of William, aged 11, was posted by casting director Amy Hubbard on Twitter this week,...
- 11/27/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Banijay, the world’s largest independent production company, has told staff that internal data was stolen after it was the victim of a cyber attack last week that could impact hundreds of current and former employees.
Deadline first revealed the hack on Monday and, in an email update last night, Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne told employees: “Unfortunately, we have now confirmed the attackers are in possession of some of our data following an online document share yesterday.”
Payne, who has been leading Banijay’s response to the incident alongside COO Peter Langenberg, added that no personal data was contained in the document dump. Deadline understands it was a small handful of materials containing relatively mundane information. Payne warned, however, that the company “cannot rule out that more data and documents are in the possession of those responsible for the cyber attack.”
As we reported on Monday, there are...
Deadline first revealed the hack on Monday and, in an email update last night, Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne told employees: “Unfortunately, we have now confirmed the attackers are in possession of some of our data following an online document share yesterday.”
Payne, who has been leading Banijay’s response to the incident alongside COO Peter Langenberg, added that no personal data was contained in the document dump. Deadline understands it was a small handful of materials containing relatively mundane information. Payne warned, however, that the company “cannot rule out that more data and documents are in the possession of those responsible for the cyber attack.”
As we reported on Monday, there are...
- 11/27/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Highly sensitive employee data, including bank account details and home addresses, may have been breached after super-producer Banijay was the victim of what could be a major hack late last week.
Banijay, the company behind global hits including MasterChef and Big Brother, had its It systems compromised by a bad actor demanding a ransom, potentially exposing the personal information of hundreds, if not thousands of staff.
Deadline understands that it was the systems of Endemol Shine Group, Banijay’s $2.2B acquisition, that were breached in the cyber attack and the company has notified the relevant authorities in the UK and Netherlands.
The Temptation Island and Survivor production group is currently trying to establish how its technology was breached, who was affected, and what information has been exposed. It is not engaging with demands for ransom.
Staff have been told it could include bank account information and ID records, such as passport data,...
Banijay, the company behind global hits including MasterChef and Big Brother, had its It systems compromised by a bad actor demanding a ransom, potentially exposing the personal information of hundreds, if not thousands of staff.
Deadline understands that it was the systems of Endemol Shine Group, Banijay’s $2.2B acquisition, that were breached in the cyber attack and the company has notified the relevant authorities in the UK and Netherlands.
The Temptation Island and Survivor production group is currently trying to establish how its technology was breached, who was affected, and what information has been exposed. It is not engaging with demands for ransom.
Staff have been told it could include bank account information and ID records, such as passport data,...
- 11/23/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Mipcom is the biggest international TV get-together of the year, but the 2020 event was a different beast due to Covid-19. While there were hopes the Cannes affair could take place in person this October, organizer Reed Midem revealed in September that the market would go virtual — and judging by the fast-rising Covid-19 count in France and toughening restrictions, that was probably a wise idea. Here are takeaways from an extraordinary year.
New Market Leaders
A decade ago, Mipcom’s main trade was Hollywood majors talking up rookie fall hits to broadcasters and pay TV worldwide. No more. As the studios hold back ever more of their flagship shows for their own Ott platforms, two new categories of market drivers have emerged: Super Indies — to use Ampere Analysis’ coinage — such as Banijay, Fremantle, BBC Studios, ITV and Beta Film; and global streamers, more of whom are ever more active. Increasingly, too,...
New Market Leaders
A decade ago, Mipcom’s main trade was Hollywood majors talking up rookie fall hits to broadcasters and pay TV worldwide. No more. As the studios hold back ever more of their flagship shows for their own Ott platforms, two new categories of market drivers have emerged: Super Indies — to use Ampere Analysis’ coinage — such as Banijay, Fremantle, BBC Studios, ITV and Beta Film; and global streamers, more of whom are ever more active. Increasingly, too,...
- 10/15/2020
- by John Hopewell, Elsa Keslassy and Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
When Banijay closed its $2.2 billion takeover of Endemol Shine earlier this summer, it became the largest independent production player outside the U.S. The formation of the super-group, during a pandemic no less, raised questions about how it might leverage a monster 88,000-hour catalogue, and what its plans were for super-brands like Endemol Shine drama “Black Mirror” and Banijay’s iconic “Survivor” format.
In her first interview since assuming leadership of Banijay’s distribution arm, Banijay Rights, industry veteran Cathy Payne tells Variety that the combined business hopes to be “the world’s best producer and distributor of content.” And while there’s certainly enough scale in the library to support its own VOD offering, Ott plans aren’t yet in the cards.
“At the moment, we’re focusing on production and distribution,” says Payne, who acknowledges that a clear brand proposition for consumers is needed for major SVOD platforms...
In her first interview since assuming leadership of Banijay’s distribution arm, Banijay Rights, industry veteran Cathy Payne tells Variety that the combined business hopes to be “the world’s best producer and distributor of content.” And while there’s certainly enough scale in the library to support its own VOD offering, Ott plans aren’t yet in the cards.
“At the moment, we’re focusing on production and distribution,” says Payne, who acknowledges that a clear brand proposition for consumers is needed for major SVOD platforms...
- 9/25/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
HBO’s ‘Patria’ Heads To France
France’s Canal+ has acquired HBO Europe’s first Spanish original drama, Patria. Set in Spanish Basque Country and taking place over 30 years during, Patria tells a story through the eyes of two families divided by the violent conflict. The show will premiere in HBO Europe’s 21 territories on September 27, while it will be released on the same day in the U.S. on HBO and HBO Max. Patria was created and written by Aitor Gabilondo, based on the bestselling novel by Fernando Aramburu.
UK Cinemas Promo Campaign Launched
UK cinema promoting body Cinema First has unveiled the campaign it hopes will encourage greater numbers of the population to return to cinemas as they continue to get back to business. The majority of UK venues have now re-opened and the release of Tenet on August 26 is seen as a major potential boost to operators...
France’s Canal+ has acquired HBO Europe’s first Spanish original drama, Patria. Set in Spanish Basque Country and taking place over 30 years during, Patria tells a story through the eyes of two families divided by the violent conflict. The show will premiere in HBO Europe’s 21 territories on September 27, while it will be released on the same day in the U.S. on HBO and HBO Max. Patria was created and written by Aitor Gabilondo, based on the bestselling novel by Fernando Aramburu.
UK Cinemas Promo Campaign Launched
UK cinema promoting body Cinema First has unveiled the campaign it hopes will encourage greater numbers of the population to return to cinemas as they continue to get back to business. The majority of UK venues have now re-opened and the release of Tenet on August 26 is seen as a major potential boost to operators...
- 8/20/2020
- by Jake Kanter and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Banijay’s $2.2 billion takeover of Endemol Shine, an Anglo-Dutch group twice its size, has given birth to a rare beast at a critical time. The France-headquartered combined entity ranks as the —, and marks the indie world’s first major M&a deal to be completed in Europe since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was never a straightforward deal to begin with: the process took more than two years to materialize following a year of on-and-off courtship and was finally completed after an eight-month antitrust process. Now the real work begins with a post-takeover integration that will take up to six more months. Banijay chairman Stephane Courbit, a self-made French entrepreneur, and his right-hand man, Marco Bassetti, CEO of the combined group, will have to deliver a complicated balancing act to deleverage Endemol Shine, whose debt was at $1.83 billion (as of February), while keeping the talent on board. Here...
It was never a straightforward deal to begin with: the process took more than two years to materialize following a year of on-and-off courtship and was finally completed after an eight-month antitrust process. Now the real work begins with a post-takeover integration that will take up to six more months. Banijay chairman Stephane Courbit, a self-made French entrepreneur, and his right-hand man, Marco Bassetti, CEO of the combined group, will have to deliver a complicated balancing act to deleverage Endemol Shine, whose debt was at $1.83 billion (as of February), while keeping the talent on board. Here...
- 7/7/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Banijay Group’s $2.2Bn takeover of Endemol Shine Group has been cleared by European regulators.
The European Commission announced it had approved the merger in a brief notice on Wednesday. “The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would not raise competition concerns given the presence of a sufficient number of alternative players with portfolios of similar content in the countries concerned,” it said, per a translation.
Deadline first revealed that the European Commission would make a deliberation on the deal by the end of June. Securing clearance in Europe was the biggest antitrust hurdle Banijay needed to overcome to complete the Endemol Shine acquisition from Disney and Apollo Global Management, creating the largest independent production group in the world.
Banijay chairman Stéphane Courbit’s French holding company Lov Group will have control over Banijay and Endemol Shine once the deal is complete. Lov will oversee the combined entity, while French media conglomerate Vivendi,...
The European Commission announced it had approved the merger in a brief notice on Wednesday. “The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would not raise competition concerns given the presence of a sufficient number of alternative players with portfolios of similar content in the countries concerned,” it said, per a translation.
Deadline first revealed that the European Commission would make a deliberation on the deal by the end of June. Securing clearance in Europe was the biggest antitrust hurdle Banijay needed to overcome to complete the Endemol Shine acquisition from Disney and Apollo Global Management, creating the largest independent production group in the world.
Banijay chairman Stéphane Courbit’s French holding company Lov Group will have control over Banijay and Endemol Shine once the deal is complete. Lov will oversee the combined entity, while French media conglomerate Vivendi,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Banijay’s $2.2 billion deal for Endemol Shine has received clearance from the European Commission’s antitrust regulators. It’s one of the indie content world’s first major M&a deals to be completed in Europe since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
The antitrust ruling from the EC, which was issued on June 30, was the biggest and final hurdle to overcome for Banijay in order to complete its takeover of Endemol Shine from Disney and Apollo Global Management.
In its decision, the EC said it authorized the acquisition, which gives Lov Group exclusive control over the combined Banijay and Endemol Shine.
“The Commission concluded that the [sought-after] acquisition did not raise any antitrust problem considering the presence of a sufficient number of alternative companies which have content portfolios that are similar in the concerned countries,” said the EC.
The deal, which previously received clearance from antitrust authorities in the U.
The antitrust ruling from the EC, which was issued on June 30, was the biggest and final hurdle to overcome for Banijay in order to complete its takeover of Endemol Shine from Disney and Apollo Global Management.
In its decision, the EC said it authorized the acquisition, which gives Lov Group exclusive control over the combined Banijay and Endemol Shine.
“The Commission concluded that the [sought-after] acquisition did not raise any antitrust problem considering the presence of a sufficient number of alternative companies which have content portfolios that are similar in the concerned countries,” said the EC.
The deal, which previously received clearance from antitrust authorities in the U.
- 7/1/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The European Commission is preparing to make a competition ruling on Banijay Group’s $2.2Bn takeover of Endemol Shine Group, setting a provisional date of June 30 for a decision.
Securing clearance in Europe is the biggest antitrust hurdle Banijay needs to overcome to complete the acquisition from Disney and Apollo Global Management, creating the largest independent production group in the world.
Banijay has always maintained that it is confident of getting the mega-deal past regulators, and June 30 will be a key date in realizing this ambition. Banijay had originally hoped that antitrust proceedings could be wrapped up in six months, but it is now eight months since the deal was first announced last October.
The European Commission will decide whether to prohibit or approve the takeover, but it is not the final stage of the competition proceedings. If it blocks the deal, it could propose remedies that could eventually lead to a green light,...
Securing clearance in Europe is the biggest antitrust hurdle Banijay needs to overcome to complete the acquisition from Disney and Apollo Global Management, creating the largest independent production group in the world.
Banijay has always maintained that it is confident of getting the mega-deal past regulators, and June 30 will be a key date in realizing this ambition. Banijay had originally hoped that antitrust proceedings could be wrapped up in six months, but it is now eight months since the deal was first announced last October.
The European Commission will decide whether to prohibit or approve the takeover, but it is not the final stage of the competition proceedings. If it blocks the deal, it could propose remedies that could eventually lead to a green light,...
- 6/12/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Distributor Banijay Rights has unveiled its operational and financial leadership team under new CEO Cathy Payne, with Roisin Thomas continuing as COO and Endemol Shine International’s (Esi) John Richards joining as CFO.
Both report into Payne, the former CEO of Esi, who started in her new role at Banijay Rights on Monday.
Former Banijay Rights CEO Tim Mutimer was confirmed last week as moving across to the role of executive VP for sales and acquisitions for Emea.
Banijay Rights’ parent company, Banijay Group, is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine in a $2.2 billion deal, which should be complete once the takeover clears regulatory hurdles this summer.
Thomas has been COO at Banijay Rights since 2015, having joined Zodiak Media back in 2011 before its merger with Banijay Group, where she worked as chief of staff to two successive group CEOs. She started her career as a corporate media lawyer and...
Both report into Payne, the former CEO of Esi, who started in her new role at Banijay Rights on Monday.
Former Banijay Rights CEO Tim Mutimer was confirmed last week as moving across to the role of executive VP for sales and acquisitions for Emea.
Banijay Rights’ parent company, Banijay Group, is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine in a $2.2 billion deal, which should be complete once the takeover clears regulatory hurdles this summer.
Thomas has been COO at Banijay Rights since 2015, having joined Zodiak Media back in 2011 before its merger with Banijay Group, where she worked as chief of staff to two successive group CEOs. She started her career as a corporate media lawyer and...
- 4/27/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC and ITV have agreed to fund a Dancing Ledge mentoring scheme for new writers and directors. With the funding, 16 “A-list” writers will select and guide a group of people looking to break into the television industry. The writers will receive a bursary to write a pilot episode for a series, while directors will be funded to work as a second unit director on a TV production. Past mentors have included Jed Mercurio, Jimmy McGovern, Jack Thorne and Lucy Prebble on the first iteration of the scheme in 2018. McGovern’s mentee Tony Schumacher was recently commissioned to pen BBC One drama The Responder, starring Martin Freeman. Dancing Ledge is backed by Fremantle and has made shows including Netflix original Delhi Crime.
Banijay Rights has hired John Richards from Endemol Shine International as CFO, while Roisin Thomas will remain chief operating officer. Both will report to new CEO Cathy Payne,...
Banijay Rights has hired John Richards from Endemol Shine International as CFO, while Roisin Thomas will remain chief operating officer. Both will report to new CEO Cathy Payne,...
- 4/27/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Banijay Group, which is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine, has appointed Cathy Payne as CEO of Banijay Rights to lead the business’ growing global distribution strategy and spearhead the division through its next chapter.
Payne was previously CEO of Endemol Shine International where she worked for a decade before stepping down last year. Prior to that, Payne was chief executive at Southern Star International where she was responsible for building one of the largest distributors of English-language content outside of the U.S. for over 20 years.
As part of the executive shakeup, Tim Mutimer will take the role of Evp for Emea sales and acquisitions at Banijay Rights.
Payne will start her new role on April 27, reporting to the CEO, Marco Bassetti. “Cathy is an exceptional leader and incredibly well-respected industry mogul. A creative entrepreneur with extraordinary market knowledge and commercial intelligence, she is behind some of the world’s biggest distribution successes,...
Payne was previously CEO of Endemol Shine International where she worked for a decade before stepping down last year. Prior to that, Payne was chief executive at Southern Star International where she was responsible for building one of the largest distributors of English-language content outside of the U.S. for over 20 years.
As part of the executive shakeup, Tim Mutimer will take the role of Evp for Emea sales and acquisitions at Banijay Rights.
Payne will start her new role on April 27, reporting to the CEO, Marco Bassetti. “Cathy is an exceptional leader and incredibly well-respected industry mogul. A creative entrepreneur with extraordinary market knowledge and commercial intelligence, she is behind some of the world’s biggest distribution successes,...
- 4/23/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Banijay Group has confirmed that Cathy Payne will become the CEO of its distribution arm Banijay Rights after she led Endemol Shine International for nearly five years.
Deadline revealed back in March that Payne would take on the role at Banijay in somewhat of a surprise development after it was announced in October last year that would step down as CEO of Endemol Shine International.
Banijay Group is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine in a $2.2B deal, meaning Payne will be reunited with her former employer once the takeover clears regulatory hurdles this summer.
Tim Mutimer, who is currently head of distribution at Banijay...
Deadline revealed back in March that Payne would take on the role at Banijay in somewhat of a surprise development after it was announced in October last year that would step down as CEO of Endemol Shine International.
Banijay Group is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine in a $2.2B deal, meaning Payne will be reunited with her former employer once the takeover clears regulatory hurdles this summer.
Tim Mutimer, who is currently head of distribution at Banijay...
- 4/23/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
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