Banijay’s Carlotta Rossi Spencer takes on branded content business development role

Banijay’s head of format acquisitions, Carlotta Rossi Spencer, has taken up a new role as head of branded-content business development at the production and distribution giant.

Carlotta Rossi Spencer

Rossi Spencer will be tasked with overseeing new deals in the branded-content space, driving market penetration and revenue growth.

Reporting to the group’s chief strategy officer, Marie Schweitzer, Rossi Spencer will work with the company’s local talent in markets worldwide to enable and support partnerships and opportunities.

The exec previously served as head of format acquisitions for Banijay and was responsible for acquiring unscripted formats with cross-country appeal for the group’s 120-plus production entities.

Prior to joining Banijay in 2014, Rossi Spencer held several roles in research and development, having begun her career in journalism and communications.

Schweitzer said: “While our labels around the world have worked in the branded-content space for some time, there was a need to take a holistic view on this area of the business and explore innovative ways to drive further opportunity. Carlotta was always a determined acquirer and we’ve no doubt she’ll now be an impressive force in this field as we collectively build out our strategy.”

Rossi Spencer added: “Having spent a number of years in acquisitions, the time was right for a change, and I’m pleased to be supporting the group in ramping up its efforts in branded content. There is so much room for further growth and in investing the time in building new relationships, I’ve no doubt 2023 has a lot in store for Banijay and its reputation in being the perfect go-to for global brands.”

In related news, RTVE in Spain has commissioned a local adaptation of gameshow format All Against 1, to be made by Banijay Iberia-owned Zeppelin. It marks the eighth adaptation of the format, which was originally created by Nordisk Film TV Denmark and Nordisk Banijay in Norway.

The show pits a contestant against the nation, with viewers simultaneously trying to predict the outcome of outlandish experiments via an app. The contestant plays alone, while the nation’s collective answer is determined by the average of the viewers’ responses.

Lucas Green, global head of content operations at Banijay, said: “Interactivity is at the heart of this format, with a specially integrated app and questions which are anyone’s guess, meaning everyone in the country can play.”