Business of Media
Banijay to go public as Stéphane Courbit engineers takeover deal
Banijay is to become a public company after owner Stéphane Courbit unveiled a plan to roll the MasterChef and Big Brother production outfit into a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), reports TBI.
The France-based firm, which owns more than 120 labels in 20 countries, is being moved into FL Entertainment, which will also house Courbit’s online gambling firm Betclic.
The deal comes less than two years since Courbit completed the $2.2bn acquisition of Endemol Shine Group, which left Banijay with large debts.
The listing will allow Courbit to refinance those debts, with investors able to buy into Banijay’s huge production and distribution operation that range from US-based Bunim/Murray Productions and Endemol Shine North America, to UK-based Tiger Aspect, Spain’s Cuarzo Producciones and Mastiff in the Nordics.
[In Australia Banijay first acquired Screentime and then later Endemol Shine Australia as part of the Endemol Shine acquisition.]
Conversations With Friends producer Element Pictures sells stake to Fremantle
In another major M&A coup, Fremantle has taken a majority stake in Irish production company Element Pictures, the producers of Normal People, Conversations With Friends and The Favourite, reports Variety.
Element Pictures has grown to become one of Europe’s top drama producers, and is managed by co-founders Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, with offices in Dublin, London and Belfast.
The deal was spearheaded by Fremantle group COO and continental Europe CEO Andrea Scrosati and Lorenzo De Maio, of De Maio Entertainment. The deal represents continued investment in European drama from Fremantle, which is owned by Germany’s RTL Group. In August 2021, the German behemoth revealed plans to grow Fremantle’s full-year revenue target to €3 billion by 2025.
Earlier this year Fremantle Group announced a new structure in Australia to bring the development and production of all entertainment, reality, and game show formats under unscripted producer, Eureka Productions, led by co-CEOs Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin.
The new Australia structure follows Fremantle’s increased shareholding in Eureka last year and will see the label take on production of all Fremantle’s entertainment catalogue, including Australia’s Got Talent, Australian Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife.
Overseas exposure of SAS witnesses sparks YouTube blackout
The Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case has been banned from the Federal Court’s YouTube channel after it was revealed unidentified foreign individuals have been using the videos to identify secret SAS witnesses appearing in the trial, reports News Corp’s Stephen Rice.
The YouTube version of the trial, which has usually been available on delay the day after proceedings, but sometimes edited for national security reasons, will no longer be available, following a ruling by the Federal Court issued late on Wednesday.
The ban came after the commonwealth became aware that “persons located outside of Australia” were using the videos to analyse information from different sources to then publish information which identifies Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) members and other “sensitive witnesses”.
Robbie Williams’ film ‘Better Man’ starts shooting in Melbourne
Robbie Williams’ Better Man has commenced principal photography in Melbourne, reports Variety Australia’s Vivienne Kelly.
The film is billed as a satirical musical based on the life of the pop star.
Williams appears in the film as himself, with Jonno Davies (“Hunters” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service”) playing the singer in his younger adult life.
Better Man is being helmed by Australian filmmaker Michael Gracy whose debut film The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, took $435 million at the global box office.
Agencies
The Mint Partners team expands with new senior hires and internal promotions
The Mint Partners is building its team adding two new senior hires, Melissa Dive and Megan Osborne along with a series of internal promotions.
The new hires and internal changes come as the brand and communications agency has a successful start to 2022 with an increased client portfolio and an expansion of current client servicing.
Dive joins MINT in the role of account director and will be will be leading several of MINTs travel and luxury brands. Her new role comes after seven years in London working across a range of international travel brands.
The new account director has worked for Prewone International managing a range of luxury travel clients including Mavros Safaris, The Safari Collection in Kenya, Nihi Hotels, Indonesia and Costa Rica and SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain. Melissa will be leading several of MINTs travel and luxury brands.
Osborne joins the agency as head of content and social, a newly created role to lead innovation, strategy, social media, paid media, influencer marketing, production and editorial.
An experienced content director with a passion for strategic customer-first executions, Osborne has led campaigns for brands across varied industries, including travel, food, not-for-profit, FMCG, home and architecture, culture and lifestyle. Osborne was most recently digital content director for Woolworths.
News Brands
Al Jazeera journalist is killed in West Bank
A journalist for Al Jazeera was fatally shot in the West Bank city of Jenin early Wednesday, the news network and the Palestinian Health Ministry said, blaming Israeli forces for her death, report The New York Times‘ Raja Abdulrahim and Patrick Kingsley.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting of the journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian American, were not immediately clear but she was shot as clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinian gunmen took place in the city.
Al Jazeera, citing the Health Ministry, said the journalist had been shot in the head by Israeli forces during a raid. A second journalist was hospitalized after being hit in the back, the ministry said.
ITV warns of ad slump but is on track with new streaming brand launch
ITV has warned that it expects an advertising slump over the coming months because of “macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty” and the absence of a major commercial event such as last year’s European football championship, reports The Guardian’s Mark Sweney.
The broadcaster lauded a “robust” start to the year, having grown TV and digital advertising revenues by a healthy 16% year-on-year to £468m in the first three months.
It remains on track to launch its free, ad-funded service ITVX – its new streaming master brand that will replace the ITV Hub and paid-for ITV Hub+ brands and also draw on content from BritBox – in the final quarter.
Podcasting
US podcast advertising market reaches $2b in 2021
The IAB reported this week that US podcast advertising revenues were close to the $2b mark in calendar year2021.
Podcasting continues to be one of the fastest growing channels in digital media. With 72% growth in the US, podcast advertising grew twice as fast as the total internet advertising market which was up 35%.
The IAB reported podcasting’s revenue growth in 2021 was fuelled by:
• A continually expanding user base consuming a growing library of engaging and diverse content
• Advertisers increasing their use of seamless, automated digital ad delivery functionality – particularly dynamic ad insertion
• Increased ad spend by existing and new advertisers across multiple ad industry categories
A forecast from IAB about future growth is very bullish. Growth over the next few years will continue to be in the vicinity of 40% annually with the $2b of 2021 turning into $6b in 2024.
Forecasts for podcast ad revenue in Australia several years ago had revenue around $70m in 2021, climbing to $110m in 2022.
US podcast ad revenue forecast
Source: IAB (US dollars)
Television
WIN TV cleared over captioning complaint
WIN TV has been cleared by the media watchdog over a complaint not being available on Judge Judy, reports TV Tonight.
A complaint to the Australian Communications & Media Authority claimed that since an affiliate switch last July WIN TV in Mildura has not been broadcasting captions for the deaf and hearing impaired community. They cited an episode of Judge Judy on July 21st 2121 as an example.
Under the Broadcasting Services Act licensees must provide a captioning service for programs transmitted on main channel between 6 am and midnight.