Is This the Last Great Super-Indie?
The merger of Banijay and All3Media creates the largest independent television production group the industry has ever seen. By almost any measure, it is an extraordinary business, bringing together some of television’s strongest production labels, an enormous catalog of intellectual property and operations across 25 territories. It also represents the latest chapter in a story that began more than 25 years ago. When the independent production company I co-founded, Brighter Pictures, was acquired by Endemol in 2001, becoming part of a larger international group felt like the obvious next step. Scale brought access to capital, international distribution and the opportunity to develop ideas across multiple territories. Like many founders of that generation, I believed the future belonged to companies that could combine creative independence with international reach. Looking back, that acquisition was one point on a much longer timeline. Endemol combined with Shine, Endemol Shine was acquired by Banijay, and Banijay has now merged with All3Media. Consolidation has become one of the defining business stories of modern television. Its commercial rationale has remained remarkably consistent. …
