Banijay Group’s Marco Bassetti

Banijay Group is one of Europe’s leading media companies. Owned by LOV Group, De Agostini Group and Vivendi, Banijay has production entities in Europe, the U.S., India, Australia and New Zealand. Marco Bassetti, Banijay’s CEO, began his career as a producer and has firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing content creators. He talks to World Screen about attracting talent for high-end projects, managing the newly acquired Survivor franchise, boosting the group’s scripted output and expanding its digital capabilities.

WS: What are the pressures and opportunities facing independent producers today, and how can a group like Banijay help them?
BASSETTI: The fact that Banijay is a group of production companies run by experienced producers has been part of our DNA since inception, and this approach is still, ten years later, our main strength compared to our competitors. We are entrepreneurs in the field, focused on making high-quality content that meets our clients’ needs.

The accelerated consolidation of the market in recent years teaches us how difficult it is for independent producers to survive. Small production companies with niche know-how can remain independent, but for medium-sized general-entertainment producers, it is tougher and tougher to get access to the market. Those companies face barriers to entry when working with both top traditional linear broadcasters and digital platforms.

Our senior management team is led by producers, and we understand the very specific constraints of our business. Banijay has therefore proved to be the perfect home for talent who recognize the necessity of being part of a strong international group with access not only to one of the best format catalogs there is, but also to potential co-production partners—yet all the while maintaining their independence when it comes to managing their local businesses. Being part of Banijay gives local producers a unique backbone to confront an industry that is changing fast and becoming more and more challenging for content producers.

WS: What is the best way to manage a network of production companies?
BASSETTI: Banijay is a unique group, as we are [an] independent—the biggest one, actually. This independence distinguishes us from our main competitors and is the heart of our management. It gives us the flexibility and agility big groups usually do not have. It enables us to share value creation with the key managers from the group and allows us to treat each deal individually.

We have some very well-established and renowned production companies within the group, some of them have been at the top of their field for more than 20 years and are still run by extremely talented producers and entrepreneurs. We could never sell and produce better than them in their local markets. What we can do is offer them the tools, expertise, means and platforms for exchange and collaborations that only a big group such as Banijay can provide.

I think that it also explains why the merger with Zodiak has been so easygoing and successful. Of course, it has been a lot of work and effort, but we quickly convinced all the parties of its necessity, and the results have become clear. While building a leading independent international production group, we have managed to maintain our entrepreneurial spirit, delivering top-quality content to our clients and reaching the financial goals of our shareholders.

WS: Are you looking to make investments in more companies, and, if so, what would you be looking for?
BASSETTI: Since the beginning of our journey, ten years ago, we have taken a very pragmatic and opportunistic approach to acquisitions. We were always convinced we needed to grow and could not rely on organic growth alone, but we have also learned that this industry depends on people, and finding good partners is not only a matter of financial results. We would not only buy profit but companies that can add long-term value and strong assets to the group, such as formats and IP.

That is the reason why our latest investments, such as the ones we have recently made in scripted production companies in the U.K., have been conceived more as partnerships with key talent. In the near future, we will use that same approach to grow either in some of our key markets where we still have room to grow or in new, fast-growing territories in which we don’t yet have a presence.

WS: Which countries are contributing the most to the group’s revenues, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?
BASSETTI: It has been a real achievement to build a group with such a strong presence in 16 territories within just ten years. It is one of the few instances where aggressive growth through M&A has been truly successful.

In terms of turnover, the U.S. and France naturally have an important impact on our results because of our history there and the size of the markets. But we are also the number one producer in Scandinavia and among the top three in Italy, Finland, New Zealand and Australia.

We now have golden opportunities to grow further in our leading European markets, which are the U.K., Germany and Spain, where we have overcome some significant challenges in the past few years.

WS: What is Banijay doing to attract talent?
BASSETTI: Attracting talent and retaining it has always been at the heart of Banijay’s culture. That is why so many of our production companies have been created or are run by big names such as Jonathan Murray [co-founder of Bunim/Murray Productions], Nagui [founder of Air Productions] and Stefan Raab [co-owner of Brainpool]. We also recently produced the docuseries The American West with Robert Redford attached, and we are currently working on The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen with Leonardo DiCaprio for HISTORY in the U.S.

The search for key talent to attach to productions is a logical result of today’s dramatic increase of content—partly thanks to new content buyers—but also combined with a trend towards less constructed shows. In this regard, top talent has become a hallmark of quality and the insurance required to gain exposure for the show.

WS: What plans do you have for the recently acquired Survivor franchise?
BASSETTI: We are very proud of the acquisition of Castaway Television Productions, as Survivor is one of the few format franchises that is still delivering excellent results after 20 years on the air! It is a “must-have” for every big generalist broadcaster in terms of ratings and image, which is key for advertisers. That’s also the reason why so many derivative formats have emerged in the past few years, with none being able to replicate the success of Survivor. It is the perfect example of a TV show that reconciles authenticity with strong format pillars.

Having said that, we cannot just rely on the inherent strength of the format. We need to look after the brand to ensure its longevity. We have invested in two different ways: first, by offering full development and production services to the format licensees, whether they are production companies from the Banijay Group or third parties. That’s why we created Survivor Central Productions, a company gathering all the know-how and expertise within the group as well as production hub facilities. And secondly, by pooling the expertise in the group and actively working on new concepts in the adventure reality genre. In this respect, Adventure Line Productions, our company in France, launched a brand-new celebrity format, Stars on the Rocks, co-developed with TF1 in France.

WS: In November, Banijay announced it was increasing its scripted output. What is the strategy going forward?
BASSETTI: Scripted is a key space for Banijay to grow [for two reasons]; first, because there is a huge demand for premium drama from our clients, both linear and digital players; and second, because we are already very strong in non-scripted. We have invested a lot in structuring our scripted business with the creation of a worldwide entity called Banijay Studios International, in order to facilitate co-productions, financing of big, ambitious drama projects, as well as format adaptations. We have also invested a lot in promising new talent by setting up new ventures in key territories such as the U.K. In recent months, we launched BlackLight Television, Neon Ink, Fearless Minds and Yellow Bird UK Productions, just to name a few.

WS: What plans do you have for expanding the group’s digital capabilities?
BASSETTI: In digital, as in all businesses we consider, we never invest if we do not have a clear vision of its profitability. That is why we have been quite cautious until now in this field and will remain so, cherry-picking smart opportunities.

Through the acquisition of Shauna Events, we want to exploit talent outside of TV, especially on social media. It is a way to consolidate our relationships by offering them new business-development opportunities, as well as a chance to create original content fully financed by product placement or brand sponsorship—with a high level of return on investment for brands.

In the coming months, we are going to launch multiple initiatives that combine innovative business models with the storytelling expertise of our subsidiaries throughout the world. On one hand, we are approaching platforms—for instance, Bunim/Murray is producing Ball in the Family for Facebook Watch. But we are also working more closely with brands in search of new ways to communicate.

WS: As you look ahead 12 to 24 months, what challenges and opportunities do you see for Banijay Group?
BASSETTI: We will continue to be committed to investing in creativity and development, because delivering high-quality content is our core business and the number one factor supporting our growth. We will pursue more scripted development opportunities and expand on our 360-degree activity—looking for new ways of extending our projects through digital, branded content and talent management.

Geographically speaking, we will reinforce our position in some of our key markets, such as the U.K., Spain and Germany, and expand into new fast-growing markets.

We will also work across the group to develop new business models, which ensure we are producing for the way that OTT platforms work; for example, projects with worldwide appeal, as I am sure the question of rights ownership will be one of the main challenges international production and distribution groups like ours will face in the coming years.