Banijay Group’s Acquisition of Endemol Shine India: Driving Growth and Creativity in the Asian Market

Banijay Group’s recent acquisition of Endemol Shine India marks a significant milestone in the global media and entertainment industry, as it creates a content powerhouse in India and Asia. This strategic move demonstrates Banijay’s ambition and commitment to furthering its growth in the region, while capitalizing on the creative potential of both brands.

The restructuring of Banijay in Asia sets the stage for unlocking greater synergies and opportunities in the region. By strategically aligning Banijay and Endemol Shine, Dhar will not only focus on content strategies and partnerships but will also build the reputation of both companies in generating new intellectual property that can resonate globally.

This acquisition positions Banijay as a dominating force in the Indian and Asian markets. The collaboration between the two entities will pave the way for the production of some of the biggest global and original Indian intellectual properties. This cross-pollination of creativity and resources promises to deliver exceptional content that will captivate audiences worldwide.

Banijay Asia has already achieved remarkable success with its scripted adaptations and original shows, showcasing its ability to identify captivating narratives and bring them to life. From mega-hit adaptations like The Night Manager, Call My Agent Bollywood, and Hostages to successful originals like Dahan and Undekhi, Banijay Asia has proven its prowess in delivering high-quality content. Furthermore, their upcoming projects, such as Indian adaptations of The Good Wife and Monk, demonstrate their commitment to pushing creative boundaries.

On the other hand, Endemol Shine India has built a strong reputation over the years as a leading producer of popular shows such as Bigg Boss, Fear Factor, MasterChef, and Deal or No Deal. With their recent announcements of a third season of the International Emmy-nominated Aarya and a Hindi adaptation of The Bridge (Bron/Broen), Endemol Shine India continues to demonstrate their ability to captivate audiences with their scripted content.

By bringing together these two powerhouses, the Asian market can anticipate an array of captivating content across genres, including unscripted shows like The Kapil Sharma Show, MTV Roadies, and The Voice. Banijay’s upcoming projects, such as Survivor and Temptation Island, will further strengthen the diverse content offerings in the region.

The acquisition of Endemol Shine India by Banijay Group signifies an exciting new chapter in the Asian media and entertainment landscape. By merging their creative forces and leveraging their collective expertise, Banijay and Endemol Shine are positioned to deliver unparalleled content that will entertain and engage audiences in India and across Asia.

The future looks bright for both companies as they embark on this collaborative journey to produce exceptional content that reflects the diversity, culture, and storytelling traditions of the region. With Deepak Dhar leading the charge, Banijay Group’s acquisition of Endemol Shine India sets the stage for a dynamic and innovative era in the Asian media and entertainment industry.

Banijay Group buys out Endemol Shine India

Global media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announced the successful completion of its buy-out of Endemol Shine India, thus paving way for a reorganisation of Banijay in the region, to create a content powerhouse in India, as well as Asia. Both Banijay Asia, and Endemol Shine India will now work under the leadership of Deepak Dhar, who’s been appointed as the Founder & Group CEO.

Talking on the developments, Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, commented, “The reorganisation of Banijay in Asia is our biggest and boldest move yet and aligns with our ambition to drive further growth in India and Asia at-large. Leveraging the creative potential and possibilities of both brands, we will now strategically pursue complimentary yet independent creative portfolios to offer the most diverse, and compelling cross-genre content from across the globe, to our Indian and Asian platforms and screens.”

Commenting on the restructuring, Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay, said, “Deepak is a leading creative and entrepreneurial force in Asia, and in our partnership thus far, he has successfully created an impressive slate, and a host of fruitful partnerships with major buyers and partners worldwide. In this new phase for the business, he will now focus on unlocking and aligning other strategic growth avenues to put Banijay in a dominating position, both in India, as well as Asia.”

Having led Endemol’s India operations between 2005 and 2018, before launching Banijay Asia and overseeing its strategic growth, Dhar will now continue his focus on leading the wider group’s content strategies, partnerships, new business, and alliances, in addition to building both companies’ reputations in generating new IP, which can travel the world.

In line with the changes, and with the aim of unlocking greater synergies, Dhar will now finesse the structure of Banijay in the region, setting group-wide roles, as well as dedicated creative positions within the respective production entities. Key personnel-related news is expected to be shared in the coming few weeks.

Dhar further added, “I’ve been fortunate to have been involved in the growth of both the businesses since their inception in India. Now, managing both to drive growth across the region, is a bit of a surreal feeling. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues at Endemol Shine India and Banijay Asia to continue to create path-breaking content and having fun along the way.”

Now, some of the biggest global, and original Indian IP would now be available and produced between the two entities, under the leadership of Dhar.

Over the last few years, Banijay Asia has delivered mega-hit scripted adaptations like The Night Manager, Call My Agent Bollywood, Hostages, and Fall, and successful Originals like Dahan, Matsya Kaand, Undekhi, Tribhanga amongst many others. The content studio’s upcoming shows include Indian adaptations of The Good Wife, Monk, House and Suits. On the non-scripted front, Banijay is leading the genre with blockbuster titles like The Kapil Sharma Show, MTV Roadies, The Voice, The Big Picture, Into The Wild with Bear Grylls, Case Toh Banta Hai and more. The content studio’s upcoming shows include Survivor and Temptation Island.

Meanwhile, since 2005, Endemol Shine India has established a strong reputation as the leading producer of Bigg Boss across 9 regions, as well as the Indian adaptations of Fear Factor, MasterChef and Deal or No Deal. On the Scripted front, apart from Bombay Begums, Trial By Fire and Tooth Pari, of late, the label has announced a third season of International Emmy-nominated Aarya, and a Hindi adaptation of The Bridge (Bron/Broen).