Banijay appoints Ben Samek to lead US expansion after $8 billion All3Media merger

Banijay Entertainment merged with All3Media, creating an $8 billion independent production group that owns formats such as Big Brother, MasterChef and Peaky Blinders. The company announced that Ben Samek, formerly head of Banijay Americas, will oversee the new U.S. operations, aiming to build a centralized infrastructure for its numerous production labels.

In its first financial update since the merger, Banijay reported half‑year revenue of €1.37 billion, a modest 2.2% decline from the same period a year earlier, driven by an 11.9% fall in production revenue. Distribution revenue rose 10.5%, helped by format sales. Live‑events revenue jumped nearly 50% on major sports properties. The group also disclosed a €400 million special dividend for shareholders and a seven‑year €750 million loan to refinance All3Media’s debt and cover transaction costs.