Mediawan, Bollore, Banijay said to be among firms weighing bids for Lionsgate

Lionsgate series The Studio for Apple TV+

Canal+ controlling stakeholder Bollore Group, Mediawan and Banijay are among several parties weighing bids for Lionsgate Studios, according to a Reuters report.

The US-based company, which controls properties including Hunger Games, John Wick and Twilight, has been in play since it separated from network and streamer Starz in May 2025.

The company has attracted “significant takeover interest” from Bollore Group, said Reuters, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Banijay, which recently completed its merger with fellow production and distribution group All3Media, is also considering a bid. Mediawan is also interested, according to a report by Variety.

Several other companies have been linked with a move to acquire Lionsgate Studios over the past year. Last summer, Legendary Entertainment was reported to be in talks with Lionsgate, although a deal never came to fruition.

Reuters said some interested parties had walked away from talks due to a hefty price tag.

Assets within Lionsgate Studios include its film division, which is riding high after its Michael Jackson biopic cleared US$1bn at the global box office; its TV group, which produces shows including Ghosts (CBS), The Rookie (ABC), Yellowjackets (Paramount+), The Studio (Apple TV+) and the Power franchise (Starz); Lionsgate Canada (formerly Entertainment One); its unscripted group Lionsgate Alternative Television; and a 20,000-title film and TV library.

Last month, reports also began circulating that Netflix might be kicking the tires of Lionsgate Studios. However, the streaming giant moved swiftly to shut down those rumours, which came after a report in Semafor. “Netflix is not interested and is not pursuing Lionsgate,” the streamer said in early June.

At the time, a source told C21 that while several interested parties had come to the table since the separation from Starz, Netflix was not one of them.

Lionsgate Studios’ stock jumped more than 8% following the Reuters report, with the company’s market cap currently standing at around US$3.86bn.

Reports of interest from Bollore Group, Mediawan and Banijay come as European players make significant moves to bulk up. Among them is Banijay, which just last week completed its merger with All3Media to create an US$8bn production and distribution giant. French media group Mediawan has also targeted US growth, acquiring a majority stake in Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment in 2022 and earlier this year acquiring Peter Chernin’s The North Road Company.

Banijay and Lionsgate declined to comment on the report, while Bollore Group and Mediawan had not responded to requests for comment at press time.