French company Banijay is thought to be close to announcing the acquisition of TV production company Endemol Shine from its owners, Walt Disney and PE company Apollo. The transaction is thought to worth €2bn.
Endemol Shine has been responsible for the production of successful series Peaky Blinders and Big Brother among others through its stable of 120 production companies spread across 22 countries. Banijay, majority owned by De Agostini Group and part-owned by Vivendi, is itself run by a former Endemol Shine executive, Marco Bassetti, and the deal may make it the largest independent TV production company globally. Its companies cover production and distribution and titles have included Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Secret Life of Four Year Olds.
Endemol Shine is an Anglo Dutch company which was established in 2014 following the merger of Dutch Endemol with the Murdoch-owned Shine. Disney took its 50% stake in the company when it acquired 21st Century Fox. It has been touted for sale since early 2018 but high debt – and high price expectations – alongside the growing streaming wars have made its sale a drawn-out affair.
