Banijay’s Ben Samek Talks Production & Growth in LatAm

Ben Samek, CEO of Banijay Americas, spoke on a panel during Content Americas about the company’s growth plans in Latin America and addressed the strategy of mergers and acquisitions for the region, among other topics.

Next month, the executive will be celebrating one year in the position. Reflecting on the nearly 12 months, Samek said, “It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. I was involved in the planning before that year. So, we started very strong in the transition. But it has been a significant and challenging one. For us as a group, it has been a year focused largely on leadership and structure. Endemol Shine North America was really the parent company and producer. Taking on the role of managing the Americas gave me the ability to create a true parent company throughout the region.”

He added, “I can elevate some of the leaders in our group and see who those individual producers are. Banijay Americas is a portfolio of production companies in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. We analyze how we can approach the market, and we do this through the portfolio of companies.”

When asked about some of his most significant achievements during the past year, Samek mentioned, “We really focused on the community and sought out the best voices. It’s about the ability to choose strong, powerful, and fantastic people for those roles. We are very proud of what they do.”

He added, “We also added the Brazilian production company Á Fabrica to the group. That has been a significant accomplishment to expand our strategy in Brazil. We also built a 250,000-square-foot facility in the country. And then, all the major content launches like La casa de los famosos on Telemundo. It was a great success both in the U.S. and in the version we did for Televisa on ViX.”

Regarding the strategy behind the acquisition of Á Fabrica, Samek explained that the company is located in Rio de Janeiro and focuses primarily on scripted content and premium documentaries. “Sometimes our group’s strategy is to expand it from within, and acquisitions are often a better way to integrate those leaders into the company. They are excellent at what they do in terms of the scripted content business. So, we got to know them and thought it was a very good fit, and there were excellent synergies. This way, we could further venture into the scripted content business in Brazil.”

Samek then elaborated on Brazil and Mexico as the main focus because they have local production companies in those countries. “That’s where we have real production, infrastructure, and a production team that serves the entire area. Then rights management, which is also one of our responsibilities, focuses on format sales directly in some of the territories where we are not present.”

When asked about the strategy of having two production labels in both Brazil and Mexico, Samek explained that they are different markets. “For Mexico, Boomdog was our initial joint venture, and we established it with Alejandro Rincón and his team. As this continued to grow and scale, we were able to invest in creating another label.”

Samek explained the strategic importance of having production hubs in different locations. “For us, a production hub is when you sell Temptation Island to Amazon, and they want a different version for Chile, another version for Brazil, and another for Mexico. Although there are cost efficiencies in filming in the same location, many times, we will set up a location, whether it’s a set or a house, and then tailor the program for that territory and choose a different cast for that territory. But this gives us the ability to do it in one place, sometimes with a production team, camera operators, and different producers. Then, each goes back to their individual territories for post-production and completion. But production hubs really make sense. We did it in Brazil with The Wall.”

The conversation then addressed the work they do with different clients, including streamers and broadcasters. “It’s a challenge because you have to analyze each platform and each channel individually,” Samek noted. “I think what we are really good at is listening to their needs because there are similarities for production value and storytelling. But there are differences in terms of programming, costs, and how much it should focus on local versus international. So, we work hard from the outset, developing shows that are suitable for that platform or channel and then move on to negotiating deals. Assuming that works, then the negotiation of deals starts, which is also different depending on the platform and channel. So, it’s about listening to them and adapting to their needs.”

Samek then spoke about his expansion outlook in Latin America in the coming months. He highlighted the importance of devising strategies to help expand their subsidiaries. “Many times, I feel like we have laid the groundwork for the organization, and now it’s about investing in creativity and the growth of those shows. Most of the programs that will be launched in the next three to six months have already been sold. So, now it’s about how we invest to make those shows excellent. It’s great to have intellectual property, present it, and bring it to market. But it has to work. It’s crucial to be able to really execute these programs and make them work. Having so many programs sold and making them work in the next three to six months would be great.”

In terms of the receptivity of productions from one territory to another, the executive highlighted that the IP serves as the entry point that must have high quality. “It’s a way in, and I think it helps drive awareness of the show. But then it has to be a great show on top of that. One of the things we are known for is creating IP that is global and travels well, even when produced elsewhere.”

Discussing the importance of building a scripted content business in Latin America, he commented, “It’s very important. I think the world is getting flatter; content is increasingly traveling. Audiences are much more willing, through subscriptions and platforms, to watch things high-quality content. I think a lot is often said about Europe and Asia. So, my goal is really to try to attract as much additional spending on content as possible.”

Samek added, “We are evaluating how to get a share of that market by supporting and investing in significant development. But it’s important. I think you have to focus on both scripted and non-scripted programs to address the market and build relationships with these platforms. Often, as production companies, you can be moved a lot depending on the strategy of these platforms. It’s necessary to forge relationships with Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and others, as well as with local platforms and channels. You have to have that relationship, work to bring them things that will work. That’s what we’re really working on, development, with the hope of gaining more market share.”

He also discussed the work they are doing in Europe, particularly in Spain, where they have several production labels. “There is a great relationship, especially because we are talking about Spanish speakers and how content travels. There is constant exchange in development. But yes, the relationship is deep. It’s about how we co-develop an idea together. Are You For Real? is going to have a second season on Televisa. That was a co-development between Boomdog and Endemol Shine Italy, and then it was sold to Televisa. Now it has been acquired in the Nordic countries and, I believe, in another territory as well. The idea is how we collaborate among the group of creative production companies to be able to serve the broadcasters and hopefully have something that then travels and sells.”

Samek offered his perspective on how he sees the evolution of the business in the next three to five years. “From the production side, I think it’s important to have an agile infrastructure right now to give everyone as much lead time as possible. Due to the fluctuation in investment from streamers, platforms, and networks in those territories, it’s essential to adapt. My impression is that there will be more investment in Latin America, but content in Spanish from Mexico is traveling and will continue to travel even more. There will be consolidation, as we all expect, although no one knows exactly how it will be. We’ve all heard the rumors. I think that will balance the market.”

“We have always had the support of advertising. Television has always been supported by advertising, and now that platforms are adopting ad-supported services, I think it makes a lot of sense. As these things balance out, I think we will have a clear idea of who will be ready to buy and whom we will sell to. But as a production company, we are often waiting for the platforms, even though we are willing to invest and have the capacity to do much of the work. However, we have to be in tune with the platforms or networks.”