TV production company that created Big Brother bought by French firm
The company behind hit TV shows Big Brother and MasterChef is to be bought by a French firm to form a worldwide production group.
Endemol Shine Group, headquartered in the Netherlands, is to be bought by Banijay Group, a global production company responsible for popular programmes such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Survivor.
Banijay will acquire 100% of the equity of the Endemol Shine Group, which is co-owned by The Walt Disney Company and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc.
The acquisition, still subject to regulatory clearances and consultation with employee representatives, will encompass Endemol’s 120 production labels with an estimated 66,000 hours of programming.
We are excited to share some very special news with you:https://t.co/SBOEvW3Icd#banijaygroup#esg#acquisition#WeAreBanijay
— Banijay Group (@banijaygroup) October 26, 2019
In 2018, Endemol was responsible for 700 productions on air, with its portfolio of programmes including Deal Or No Deal, Mr Bean and Grantchester.
The takeover deal will see the Banijay Group own almost 200 production companies in 23 territories and hold the rights to almost 100,000 hours of content.
It is expected that the new combined group will have a pro-forma revenue of around three billion euro for the year ending December 31 2019.
Banijay’s catalogue is set to include shows such as Black Mirror, Versailles, The Millennium Trilogy, Peaky Blinders, Big Brother, MasterChef, Survivor, Temptation Island, Wife Swap and The Island.
Marco Bassetti, chief executive officer at Banijay, said: “Endemol Shine brings an incredible array of industry-leading talent, globally renowned brands and high-quality creative content.
“Combining the resources of these two companies will instantly strengthen our position in the global market, and our capabilities across genres will further define us as a go-to provider of first class IP worldwide.”
Endemol Shine Group chief executive officer Sophie Turner Laing commented: “This deal takes us into a whole new and exciting chapter and into a new enhanced global content house with many opportunities ahead.”
