Banijay Group Unveils New Production Label from Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman have launched a new production label, The Natural Studios, under the Banijay Group umbrella.

The new company will be a global adventure TV and film production studio across all platforms. The Natural Studios is led by Grylls and Shoopman as co-CEOs.

Backed and funded by Banijay Group, which serves as production and distribution partner, the deal will see the pair build the business into the ultimate “Home of Adventure,” where they will develop original IP with mass global appeal and nurture the next generation of adrenaline-fueled TV stars worldwide.

While Grylls and Shoopman will have direct access to Banijay Group’s global production and distribution network, they will maintain full strategic control with the view to building an international production powerhouse responsible for serving traditional and digital platforms worldwide with both non-scripted and scripted content.

The Natural Studios’ current slate of shows includes the Emmy-nominated Hostile Planet (National Geographic), Eco-Challenge (Amazon), Running Wild with Bear Grylls (National Geographic), Emmy-nominated You Vs Wild (Netflix) and the BAFTA-winning series The Island (C4).

Grylls commented: “It has been such a journey for Delbert and I to get to the stage where we can build out our adventure shows under our own studio. We stand on the shoulders of many giants. The ACF Investment Bank team have been incredible guides through the process—at its heart this is about building the ultimate home of adventure programming worldwide.

“The Natural Studios will be providing a home for the best adventure talent to help them create shows with us that inspire and move people to go for it in their lives and to never give up.”

Marco Bassetti, CEO of Banijay Group, commented: “In a crowded marketplace, with many new players, only strong talents can cut through and as the face of adventure globally, Bear does just this. Both he and Del bring an incredibly strong portfolio and track record in this space and fit harmoniously with our existing catalogue of world-class adventure entertainment brands.”

He continued, “Further bolstering our strong expertise in the adventure field, and instantly building our audiences worldwide, The Natural Studios was the perfect fit for us and supports our organic growth strategy internationally. Already open for business, we are confident the new label has a strong path ahead and we look forward to collaborating on building an even bigger following for their brands across the globe.”