In two operations less than six months apart, Stéphane Courbit, president and founder of Banijay, has shaken up the global audiovisual and entertainment landscape. Last October, his group first acquired Tipico, the German champion of online betting. Combined with its subsidiary Betclic, the operation allows Banijay to establish itself among the sector’s leaders. Then, in March, the Frenchman joined forces with the British All3Media to become the largest independent producer of films and series in the world.
Banijay, founded in 2008, is known for its shows MasterChef and Temptation Island, as well as the series Black Mirror, and has over 130 production companies. All3Media, on the other hand, is behind Inspector Barnaby, Call the Midwife, and The Traitors, with more than 40 creative labels. The new group will thus bring together more than 170 spread across 25 countries.
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These two operations give rise to a group with a turnover of 7.4 billion euros and an operating profit of 1.6 billion. Audiovisual production represents more than half of the activity. The leaders of the French group claim to want to pause their external growth. However, they do not rule out the acquisition of the British producer ITV, which they had considered a year ago.
