Banijay confirms All3Media merger talks

The US version of The Traitors

A mega-merger between European production groups Banijay and All3Media is in the works.

France-based Banijay, which owns franchises including Survivor, Masterchef and Big Brother, could be combined with All3Media, which is behind shows including The Traitors. The deal was first reported by Reuters, citing two sources close to the deal.

Banijay has since confirmed it has entered into discussions with the All3Media owner RedBird IMI regarding a potential merger between Banijay and All3Media. At this stage, the company said it wished to emphasise that no decision had been taken and that there could be no assurance that a transaction will be concluded. Further announcements will be made if and when appropriate.

The deal would see the Banijay Entertainment and Banijay Live businesses run by CEO Marco Bassetti combined with All3Media, which has Jane Turton as its CEO.

RedBird IMI, led by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker and backed by Emirati royal Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, acquired European production and distribution group All3Media for £1.15bn (US$1.45bn) in 2024.

It has since been linked with several other deals to bulk up the business, including a bid for ITV Studios – the production and distribution arm of the UK commercial broadcaster.

A merger with Banijay, which itself has been linked with a move for ITVS, would create a European production giant with annual revenues in the region of $6.65bn and ownership some of TV’s biggest unscripted and scripted formats including Peaky Blinders and Race Across The World.

Both companies have large portfolios of production companies with Banijay owning the likes of Mastiff, Kudos, Tiger Aspect and Shine TV following its previous megamerger with Endemol Shine. All3Media backs companies including Lion Television, Objective Media Group, Silverback Films and its own US arm.