Banijay to acquire Endemol Shine
October 28, 2019
Banijay Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the equity of Endemol Shine Group, which is co-owned by The Walt Disney Company and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management.
The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and consultation with the relevant employee representative bodies, will encompass Endemol Shine’s 120 production labels with an estimated 66,000 hours of scripted and non-scripted programming together with over 4,300 registered formats.
The addition of these assets will position Banijay Group at the forefront of content production and distribution and as a premier home for the industry’s leading on- and off-screen talent. Upon completion of the acquisition, Banijay Group will own almost 200 production companies in 23 territories and the rights for close to 100,000 hours of content. Total pro-forma revenue of the combined group is expected to be approximately €3 billion for the year ending December 31st 2019.
Banijay says the acquisition will “boost its scripted credentials and further building its reputation as a go-to provider of high-quality unscripted IP”, the combined catalogue is expected to include some of the world’s best known brands and formats such as Black Mirror, Versailles, The Millennium Trilogy, Peaky Blinders, Big Brother, MasterChef, Survivor, Temptation Island, Wife Swap and The Island.
The acquisition will be financed through a capital increase of Banijay Group and committed debt financing, which includes a committed full refinancing of Banijay and Endemol Shine’s existing financial debt, supported by Deutsche Bank, Natixis and Société Générale. Postclosing, the combined group will be held by LDH (67.1 per cent) and Vivendi (32.9 per cent).
Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer at Banijay, said: “Endemol Shine brings an incredible array of industry-leading talent, globally-renowned brands and high-quality creative content. Combining the resources of these two companies will instantly strengthen our position in the global market, and our capabilities across genres will further define us as a go-to provider of first class IP worldwide. Welcoming the Endemol Shine brands and talents to our existing business will signal enhanced opportunities in the marketplace, and we are all excited by what the future holds for the combined entity.”
Sophie Turner Laing, Endemol Shine Group Chief Executive Officer, added: “At Endemol Shine, we have continually inspired and entertained audiences around the world, a testament to every single person across the Group. This deal takes us into a whole new and exciting chapter and into a new enhanced global content house with many opportunities ahead.”