Banijay, the French TV production super-indie, has made an offer for All3Media.
All3Media is the production-distribution giant behind shows including Jamie Dornan-starrer “The Tourist,” Phoebe Waller Bridge’s “Fleabag” and Dutch gameshow hit “The Traitors.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and Liberty Global, the joint owners of All3Media, quietly put the company up for sale earlier this year.
Initially the U.K.’s commercial public service broadcaster ITV expressed an interest before pulling out, with sources suggesting ITV, which also owns production company ITV Studios, was spooked by market conditions as well as the potential conflict of interest in the production space.
Peter Chernin’s Northroad Company also reportedly submitted a bid before withdrawing from the process.
As Variety reported in July, Mediawan, Banijay and Sony subsequently emerged as the frontrunners to buy the company.
Variety understands that Banijay recently submitted an offer but as yet have not heard back. Reuters reports that Banijay made a “binding” offer but other bidders are still in the mix. One bidder will be chosen imminently, according to the news agency.
All3Media’s U.K.-based scripted assets, which include Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris’ Neal Street Productions (“Call the Midwife,” “1917”) and Two Brothers Pictures (“The Tourist,” “Fleabag”) would provide a boost to Banijay’s English-language slate. Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti told Variety last year that the U.K. is “the most important and expensive market.”
The company also boasts a distribution arm, All3Media International, as well as digital agency Little Dot Studios.
According to Reuters, WBD and Liberty are hoping to sell All3Media for approximately £1.3 billion. They acquired the company in 2014 for £550 million ($686 million)