In the aftermath of its Endemol Shine takeover, newly formed France-based European content powerhouse Banijay has announced that Pilar Blasco, former CEO of Endemol Shine Iberia, has been appointed CEO of its Spain-headquartered unit Banijay Iberia, while Paolo Bassetti remains in place as CEO of Banijay Italy.
The merger led by Marco Bassetti — who is CEO of the combined group — is prompting a complex restructuring process across the board.
Banijay Iberia’s main activities span Madrid, Barcelona, Galicia, Vitoria and Lisbon. They include eight labels comprising Gestmusic, Diagonal, Shine Iberia, Cuarzo Producciones, Zeppelin Television, DLO Magnolia, Endemol Portugal and Tuiwok. Banijay Iberia is now the group behind franchise brands such as “MasterChef” and “Big Brother,” as well as local shows “Radio Gaga” and “Tu Cara Me Suena.”
Similarly, Banijay Italia now comprises 10 production entities including Banijay Italia, Endemol Shine Italy and Banijay Studios Italy. The new Banijay Italy will be churning out some of Italian TV’s top shows including the Italian version of “Big Brother,” which is still going strong on Mediaset, MasterChef Italia, which plays on Sky Italia, and also “Temptation Island,” “Celebrity Survivor,” “Bake Off Italia” and local format “Che Tempo Che Fa,” for pubcaster RAI.
“In Pilar and Paolo, we have two exceptional leaders,” said Marco Bassetti in a statement. “Well-versed in driving innovation, encouraging out-of-the-box creativity and navigating the new world of content creation, they are best set to capitalize on the opportunities presented by our recent acquisition,” he added, noting that “in the months to come, they will work to combine the footprint in the regions they control, while strengthening client relationships and putting Banijay’s operations in pole position for the future.”
Blasco, who had previously been running Endemol Shine Iberia for five years, said in the statement that she was “very grateful for the opportunity to lead Banijay in Iberia” and to team up “with the most talented Spanish and Portuguese producers.”
Paolo Bassetti, who has been CEO of Banijay Italy for two years and previously served as CEO and chairman of Endemol Shine Group’s Italian arm, said he hoped “the business will continue on its successful path worldwide” and that “in Italy, we will do all we can to further our unique creative capabilities and high production capacity.”