Banijay splits US and Lat Am operation, cements leadership following All3 merger

Laurens Drillich (left) and Ben Samek

Banijay Entertainment is reorganising its operations in the Americas following its merger with All3Media, launching two separate divisions for the US and Latin America led by Ben Samek and Laurens Drillich respectively.

The new label, Banijay America, will bring together the group’s US operations under Samek’s leadership, while Banijay Latin America will be headed by Drillich from Miami and will cover Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and the US Hispanic market. The company’s US, US Hispanic and Lat Am operations all previously fell under the Banijay Americas banner, which was led by Samek.

The moves are part of the integration of Banijay Entertainment and All3Media, whose merger was completed in July through the strategic alliance between Banijay Group and RedBird IMI.

Samek will continue as a board member and consultant for Banijay Latin America, although he will concentrate his main activity on Banijay America and the growth of the US business.

In his new role as CEO of Banijay America, which had been unofficially reported at the end of July, he will report to Jane Turton, deputy CEO of Banijay Entertainment, and will lead the integration of Banijay and All3Media’s US operations, focusing on both the content business and the digital, live and sports areas. Official confirmation of Samek atop Banijay’s US business comes after it was revealed at the end of last month that Sharon Levy, CEO of Banijay Americas label Endemol Shine North America, was leaving.

As part of its new structure, Banijay America will incorporate Turnkey Studio Services (TSS), a centralised production services unit led by Justin Medeiros as executive VP of production and Jacob Cohen-Holmes as head of current programming.

Medeiros and Cohen-Holmes already managed a similar operation within All3Media America and will now offer production and studio services to Banijay Entertainment companies, including Studio Lambert, which used this structure for productions such as The Circle for Netflix, Undercover Boss for CBS, and The Mob for Hulu. The goal is to later open these services to external production companies.

As CEO of Banijay Latin America, Drillich, until now president of Endemol Shine Latino, will report directly to Marco Bassetti, CEO of Banijay Entertainment.

Banijay Latin America will encompass Endemol Shine Boomdog in Mexico and its Banijay Colombia operation; A Fábrica in Brazil, Mexico, and the US Hispanic market; and Endemol Shine Brasil. Also included under its umbrella will be Wide Angle, Endemol Shine Boomdog’s post-production company, and Banijay Estúdios, the studio complex operated by Endemol Shine Brasil in São Paulo.

The division manages some of the group’s main franchises in the region, including The House of the Famous (Big Brother), MasterChef, All Together Now, Love is Blind Brazil, Physical 100 Mexico and LOL: Last One Laughing, in addition to controlling the license for Big Brother Brazil.

In fiction, its operations are behind titles such as Pedaço de Mim for Netflix and Like Water for Chocolate for HBO, while the group has also been expanding its activities in digital, branded and vertical content for platforms such as Kwai and ReelShort.

Drillich had led Endemol Shine Latino since 2016 and was previously CEO of Endemol Shine Netherlands, in addition to having been in charge of Endemol’s Spanish-language sales and production operations in the United States and Mexico.

“Both businesses were built on the same principle, to back exceptional producers and bold ideas. Bringing them together gives us greater scale and expanded capabilities in the US market. Our goal is clear: to build enduring franchises that can travel the world and connect with audiences across platforms and experiences,” said Samek.

He added that the company will “remain entrepreneurial and disciplined, investing with clear intent and backing the storytellers and ideas that can create lasting value for the business.”

For his part, Drillich highlighted that the group already has “an exceptional portfolio of talent and activities in Latin America,” but that there are still numerous opportunities for growth in the region.

Banijay America’s portfolio now includes franchises and titles such as Big Brother (CBS), MasterChef, Lego Masters and Fear Factor: House of Fear (Fox), Below Deck and Summer House (Bravo), in addition to productions from All3Media companies such as Lion TV, Raw and Objective Media Group America.