Banijay Group, a French television production giant behind popular shows like Peaky Blinders, is in advanced talks to merge with All3Media, the UK-based maker of hit TV series including The Traitors. If a deal goes through, it would create a European TV production behemoth combining Banijay's hits such as MasterChef and Survivor with All3Media's staples like Midsomer Murders and Call the Midwife.
The Paris-headquartered company has been in discussions with RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi-backed owner of the Daily Mail, about a potential combination. However, no formal offer has been made yet. A merger would be subject to scrutiny by UK competition watchdogs and European regulators due to Banijay's significant presence in markets like France and Italy.
Banijay was founded in 2008 after merging with Zodiak, the owner of UK producers including RDF, which makes shows like Faking It. In 2019, it made a $2.2 billion (£1.6 billion) deal to acquire Endemol Shine Group, which includes popular shows such as Big Brother and Black Mirror.
All3Media has produced hit series like Fleabag and Shameless. The move comes after reports last year that ITV and RedBird IMI had held talks to merge ITV Studios with All3Media. Banijay also explored a takeover offer for ITV Studios, but no formal bid was made.
The Paris-headquartered company has been in discussions with RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi-backed owner of the Daily Mail, about a potential combination. However, no formal offer has been made yet. A merger would be subject to scrutiny by UK competition watchdogs and European regulators due to Banijay's significant presence in markets like France and Italy.
Banijay was founded in 2008 after merging with Zodiak, the owner of UK producers including RDF, which makes shows like Faking It. In 2019, it made a $2.2 billion (£1.6 billion) deal to acquire Endemol Shine Group, which includes popular shows such as Big Brother and Black Mirror.
All3Media has produced hit series like Fleabag and Shameless. The move comes after reports last year that ITV and RedBird IMI had held talks to merge ITV Studios with All3Media. Banijay also explored a takeover offer for ITV Studios, but no formal bid was made.
i mean, imagine peaky blinders and masterchef all under one roof...it's both exciting and kinda scary at the same time 
it's gonna be so interesting to see how this plays out in the industry!
But, gotta say, it's a bit worrying that UK competition watchdogs and European regulators are keeping an eye on this... don't wanna see any of those big bucks being misused 
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guess that's why they gotta scrutinize it first. anyway, i'm just excited cuz we might see some new shows on the horizon 
. btw, have u guys watched midsomer murders lately? 
still loving call the midwife too 
This merger news is so exciting! I think it's amazing how the European TV industry is evolving 
. I'm a big fan of MasterChef and Survivor myself, and having them combined with Midsomer Murders and Call the Midwife sounds like a dream come true 
. The fact that RedBird IMI is backing this deal only makes it more impressive 
. It's clear they're playing in the big leagues now! 
Let's hope this merger brings even more awesome shows to our screens soon 
! can u imagine the shows they'll bring together? masterchef, survivor, peaky blinders... and then add in midsomer murders, call the midwife, fleabag, shameless... it's like a dream lineup for tv fans 
but for real though, it'd be super interesting to see how competition regulators handle this one. don't want any major markets getting hurt in the process. 
also got to wonder what other deals are cooking behind the scenes... like that ITV studios takeover bid by Banijay... 
. On one hand, it would be sick to see MasterChef and Survivor paired with Midsomer Murders and Call the Midwife on the same platform 
. Can't we just chill and let the market dictate what gets made instead of forcing a merger that might not be best for anyone 
?
This is gonna be a wild ride! If they actually go through with this merger, we're lookin at a massive European TV production giant 
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! I'm all about this merger, tbh 
. Banijay and All3Media have such great shows together, it's like they were meant to be 
, but I think the benefits will outweigh any concerns 
. It'll be awesome to see these two TV giants join forces and create even more amazing content for us to binge-watch 
just saw the news about Banijay Group merging with All3Media and I gotta say... it's kinda worrying. we already have so many huge TV production companies in one spot. i mean, think about it - they're gonna control like, a million different shows and formats. it's hard enough for small creators to get noticed as it is, let alone when you've got these behemoths sniffing around. and what about the UK competition watchdogs? don't wanna see them getting all muddled with too many giant players in the mix 
. I went there last year with friends and we were all raving about it for weeks after. Anyway, back to TV shows... I feel like MasterChef is so underrated, you know? People always talk about The Great British Baking Show, but MasterChef has some great contestants too! Have you ever tried making any of the recipes from MasterChef at home?