Banijay Entertainment

Banijay Entertainment S.A. (formerly Banijay Group and later Banijay) is a French multinational television production and distribution company which is the world's largest international content producer and distributor with over 130 production companies across 23 territories, and a multi-genre catalogue containing over 185,000 hours of original programming. Headquartered in Paris, the company was founded in January 2008 by Stéphane Courbit, former president of Endemol France, and has risen since its inception, to become a €3.2bn turnover business. It is a subsidiary of Banijay Group N.V., based in Amsterdam.

The company has expanded over the years through multiple acquisitions, including its purchases of Zodiak Media in 2016, Endemol Shine Group in 2020, when it adopted its current name, and Beyond International in 2022. The group's non-scripted television formats include Big Brother, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, Temptation Island, MasterChef, Don't Forget the Lyrics!, and Hunted.

Banijay Entertainment was formed in January 2008 through the successive acquisition of production companies, first in France then internationally under the leadership of Stéphane Courbit (who was previously the CEO of Endemol France) alongside Groupe Arnault, the Agnelli and De Agostini families and AMS Industries. Their first acquisition was Nagui's production company Air Productions, which was renamed Banijay Production Media ten years later on April 9, 2018.

In January 2009, Banijay Entertainment sold its Madrid-based Spanish production company El Terrat back to its founder Andreu Buenafuente. Four days later in that same month following Banijay's selling of El Terrat, Banijay Entertainment acquired 51% of Spanish production company Cuarzo Producciones on 12 January,

On 2 July 2009, Banijay announced that it was expanding its operations into Germany by acquiring a 50% stake in German television producer Brainpool TV. Five days later in that same month of 2009, Banijay Entertainment announced that they had expanded their growing television empire and their entry into the American television production industry by launching its American reality TV production outfit Angel City Factory with veteran producers Chris Cowen and Jean-Michel Michenaud.

In October 2009, Banijay Entertainment announced that they had entered the Scandinavian television productions business by acquiring the entire Nordisk Film TV television division from multinational media group Egmont Group and its Copenhagen-based film production studio Nordisk Film alongside its distribution division Nordisk Film TV Globe and its production companies subsidiaries including entertainment company Respirator and Finnish production house Solar Television, marking Banijay Entertainment's first entry into the Scandinavian production industry as the company's executives Jacob Houlind and Peter Haunsen continue to manage the company under Banijay Entertainment.

In January 2010, Banijay announced that they had bought British indie production company Zig Zag Productions, marking Banijay's first entry into the British market. However, in September 2010, Banijay announced that they sold Zig Zag Productions back to their co-founders Danny Fenton and Kevin Utton leading to Banijay's initial exit from the UK market.

In March 2010, Banijay Entertainment entered the distribution activities by the establishment of its international distribution division Banijay International that would distribute its own programmes in-house alongside third-party programmes from producers worldwide. Two weeks later in that month, Banijay Entertainment had announced that they've acquired Los Angeles-based American reality television production company Bunim/Murray Productions for an undisclosed amount expanding Banijay Entertainment's American television production operations with co-founder of Bunim/Murray Productions Jonathan Murray remaining the chairman of the acquired company.