Borglund buys back Mythbusters producer Beyond from Banijay

Australian media mogul Mikael Borglund is to buy back the production arm of Beyond, just over a year since he sold the business to European production and distribution group Banijay.

Mikael Borglund

Banijay acquired all production and sales operations of Beyond International at the end of 2022 in a deal which valued the company at A$47.5m (US$32m).

Banijay and Beyond International confirmed today Borglund would be buying back the production division, behind factual series Mythbusters among others, and the current production subsidiaries of the Beyond group for an undisclosed sum via his personal holding company, BYI Holdings.

Under the deal Banijay retains the rights of the extensive Beyond Rights catalogue it acquired in December 2022 but Beyond will own future projects with immediate effect. Beyond International and Banijay Rights have also concluded a five-year first-look distribution deal pertaining to Beyond group’s future productions, which effectively entwines the partnership for a number of years.

The companies advised that ongoing productions would not be affected by the transaction.

 It is understood that all Australian staff will be retained and the existing production facilities in Sydney, Beyond’s home for more than two decades, will also be retained.

Prior to the 100% sale to Banijay, Beyond had been a listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange since 1987, but was de-listed after the deal closed. It is not clear if Borglund will seek readmission to the ASX.

At the time of the sale 12 months ago, Beyond had 222 hours of production in progress covering its traditional genre expertise in factual production, including lifestyle, food, science, kids, crime and automotive, in addition to Beyond’s expanding focus on scripted drama, theatrical documentary, and entertainment formats. Beyond’s US and UK operations had a series and pilots in production and in Australia there were 12 series and four theatrical documentaries in production. Beyond is behind the first and second series of Troppo produced with EQ Media Group, ABC and AGC.

Beyond was formed in 1984, when Swedish-born Borglund, an accountant at an entertainment management company seized the opportunity to form a production company with a few television clients who had just had their show axed by the ABC. That axed show would be re-imagined as Beyond 2000 which was commissioned by Australia’s Channel 7 in 1985, becoming the foundation of Beyond International’s trajectory.