Tag Archive: Banijay Americas

  1. Sharon Levy Named Chief Executive Officer, Endemol Shine North America

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    Sharon Levy has been elevated to Chief Executive Officer of Endemol Shine North America, the Banijay-owned studio behind the Emmy Award- nominated LEGO Masters, MasterChef, Wipeout, and the highly-anticipated Ripley, it was announced today by Ben Samek, Chief Executive Officer, Banijay Americas.

    In her new role, Levy, who has served as Chief Content Officer, Endemol Shine North America, since 2021, will manage all aspects of the business and its growth. Named as one of the “Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted TV” by The Hollywood Reporter, she will also continue to lead all of the studio’s unscripted and scripted programming efforts from the company’s North Hollywood headquarters.

    “Sharon is one of the most strategic executives in the business, someone whose creative vision is matched only by her market savvy,” said Samek. “Over the past five years, she has already positioned Endemol Shine North America as a major industry player and unleashed the creativity of her group. I look forward to supporting her as she leads her talented team to new heights.”

    “I’m very excited to take on the CEO role for the new Endemol Shine North America as we chart its course forward during an extraordinary time for the industry,” said Levy. “I am thankful to Ben for believing in me and my exceptional team and giving us the responsibility and opportunity to redefine ESNA. With Endemol Shine North America now operating solely as a production studio, we’ll move more nimbly and be better positioned to meet the challenges of the moment. It’s a new era at ESNA, and we look forward to working with partners, old and new, to create great television.”

    With Levy now in place as CEO, Endemol Shine North America, which previously operated as the holding company on behalf of Banijay Americas, will operate as an independent production studio alongside the nine other Banijay-owned studios. In announcing these moves, his first since being named CEO, Banijay Americas, Samek completes the restructure of Banijay’s businesses across the Americas, establishing the new Endemol Shine North America studio alongside fellow U.S.-based Bunim/Murray Productions, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment, Authentic Entertainment and Stephen David Entertainment; Mexico-based Endemol Shine Boomdog and Banijay Mexico and U.S. Hispanic; and Brazil-based Endemol Shine Brasil and A Fábrica.

    “Historically, Endemol Shine North America served a dual role as the parent company to our subsidiaries and as its own production label,” said Samek. “Reconstituting ESNA as a pure production studio that lives alongside the nine other studios that form Banijay Americas, each with its own leadership and goals, will afford us the opportunity to work more collaboratively and efficiently and represent ourselves more clearly to our industry partners.”

    Since joining Endemol Shine North America in 2017 as President, Unscripted and Scripted TV, Levy, an award-winning producer and executive, has successfully reconfigured the studio’s Los Angeles-based programming team to work more closely with Banijay’s myriad global production companies and created an original development slate that features projects from co-owned labels worldwide with marquis talent highlighted by Will Arnett, John Cena, Nicole Byer, Keke Palmer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, John Cusack, Steve Zaillian, Gillian Flynn, and more.

    During her tenure with Endemol Shine North America, Levy has launched and overseen numerous hits including FOX’s wildly-successful and Emmy Award-nominated LEGO Masters (hosted by Will Arnett), TBS’ revamped Wipeout (with John Cena and Nicole Byer), Foodtastic (Disney+), The Courtship (USA/Peacock), a new version of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for HGTV, and the highly-anticipated Showtime original series, Ripley. Levy also leads Endemol Shine’s top-rated food competition franchises, MasterChef and MasterChef Junior.

    Prior to joining Endemol Shine, Levy served as Executive Vice President of Original Series for Spike TV where she oversaw the acquisition, creation, and production of unscripted series, scripted series, and documentaries, successfully transforming the network’s brand identity with hits such as Ink Master, Bar Rescue, Auction Hunters, and Deadliest Warrior.

    Last year, Levy helped orchestrate a new partnership between Endemol Shine North America and EveryWoman Studios to expand the Propelle Program, an initiative designed to give up-and- coming female creators more opportunities in unscripted TV. As part of this initiative, Endemol Shine North America underwrote a new format category within the Propelle Program, pairing female creators with industry mentors to help develop the next batch of unscripted hit series.

  2. Ben Samek Elevated to Chief Executive Officer, Banijay Americas

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    Chairman of the Americas for Banijay, Cris Abrego, announced today that he is stepping down as CEO and elevating Ben Samek into the role of Chief Executive Officer, Banijay Americas. Samek, who has served as President and COO since 2018, will now oversee the company’s award-winning independent production studios across two continents, developing and producing some of the world’s biggest formats and hit series.

    Abrego will stay on as Chairman of the Americas for Banijay, focusing on acquisitions and new business ventures. In line with the personnel changes, the production labels across the Americas will now be housed under the new umbrella, Banijay Americas.

    “When I decided to step down as CEO, I knew Ben was the ideal person to take the reins as chief executive of Banijay Americas. He has been a key partner to me for more than two decades and I know him to be an extraordinary and results-driven leader with the experience and relationships to drive success both domestically and internationally,” said Abrego. “Ben cares deeply about our company, our clients, and our people. His promotion to CEO is a testament to his long list of contributions and achievements.”

    “It is an honor to step into this role, especially at a moment of accelerated evolution for the entertainment industry and Banijay Americas,” said Samek. “There are tremendous opportunities ahead for our business and I am inspired daily by the extraordinary talent and expertise of our team. I am grateful to Cris, who has been a mentor and friend for many years, and I look forward to the work ahead.”

    Samek joined Endemol USA in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer and transitioned to COO of Endemol Shine North America in 2015. Promoted to President and COO for Endemol Shine North America in January 2018, Samek then expanded his areas of oversight to include the Banijay companies in the U.S. and Latin America when Banijay acquired Endemol Shine Group in 2020. Previously he held the role at COO at 51 Minds Entertainment, where he worked closely with Abrego, its co-founder, to help grow the unscripted studio from its boutique beginnings into an industry heavyweight that produced more than $100 million a year in content and eventually sold to Endemol in 2008.

    Banijay Americas multi-genre content portfolio includes highlights like the Emmy Award- winning Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, LEGO Masters, MasterChef, The Men Who Built America, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Real Housewives of Potomac, Real Housewives of Dubai, Ink Master, Love is Blind Brasil, Vai Que Cola, La Casa de los Famosos, LOL Mexico, the Below Deck franchise, The Challenge franchise, and more.

  3. Banijay Americas Acquires Majority Stake in Brasilian Studio A Fábrica

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    Banijay Americas, a division of Banijay, the world’s largest producer and distributor of international content, has acquired a majority stake in leading Brasilian studio A Fábrica, it was announced today by Ben Samek, President and Chief Operating Officer, Banijay Americas and Laurens Drillich, President, Endemol Shine Latino.

    A Fábrica, which is based in Rio de Janeiro and was founded in January 2016, is behind many of the nation’s top scripted series and films. Its content can currently be found on such networks and platforms as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Turner, HBO Max, Globo, Globoplay, Canal GNT and Multishow.

    A Fábrica was initially launched by partners Luiz Noronha (CEO), Renato Fagundes (Chief Content Officer), Cecilia Grosso and Samanta Moraes (Producers) and Alberto Elias (CFO). A Fábrica’s management team will remain in place, reporting to Drillich

    A Fábrica currently produces Brasil’s highest-rated pay TV sitcom, “Vai Que Cola,” which is in its 10th season for Multishow and Globo and the studio has two highly anticipated scripted series coming to streaming platforms in the coming months, including “Sem Filtro,” a comedy developed in partnership with Netflix, which is set to debut early next year.

    With the addition of A Fábrica, Banijay Americas is now comprised of 10 leading production companies across North America and South America. Banijay Americas studios in the U.S. include Endemol Shine North America, Bunim/Murray Productions, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment, Authentic Entertainment and Stephen David Entertainment.

    In Latin America, Banijay Americas studios include Endemol Shine Brasil (based in São Paulo) and Mexico City-based Endemol Shine Boomdog and the recently opened Banijay Mexico & U.S. Hispanic. Last month, the company announced it was opening Banijay Studios Brasil, a 750,000 square-foot production studio facility in Guarulhos, Brasil, which will be managed by the team at Endemol Shine Brasil.

    “When we look at potential new partnerships and or acquisitions, we always start with a search for talented storytellers and strong leadership and the team at A Fábrica was clearly at the top of that list,” said Banijay Americas’ Samek. “They have quickly established A Fábrica as Brasil’s go-to studio for the best in film and scripted content and we are thrilled to have their team join our roster of world-class production studios in the Americas.”

    A Fábrica’s Noronha stated, “With the arrival of Banijay, we are guaranteed to grow with ever-increasing quality, both in terms of management and delivery capacity. We maintain flexibility in our business models and personalized customer service, reaffirming our commitment to originality and the results of our productions.”

    A Fábrica has established itself as a leader in high quality scripted content in Brasil, producing films for both theatrical release and for top streaming platforms, as well as some of the nation’s most watched scripted series.In addition to “Sem Filtro,” it’s upcoming comedy series for Netflix, the studio is preparing to launch “A Divisão,” a co-production with Afroreggae Audiovisual. The Brasilian police procedural is set to launch on Globoplay in 2023.

    On the film side, A Fábrica has produced original titles for theatrical release, as well as for streaming platforms. The studio recently delivered the highest audience for a non-English-language film in Netflix’s history with “Modo Avião.” In 2021, Netflix’s “Lulli,” another A Fábrica original production, was on the top 10-charts in several countries, including Brasil.

    Theatrically, A Fábrica released its first film in theaters in 2018, “Minha Vida em Marte,” selling over five million tickets in Brasil’s theaters and it was honored as the nation’s best comedy of the year. The studio currently has eight feature films in its pipeline, including the comedy “Cansei De Ser Nerd,” in partnership with Hungry Man for Paramount Pictures and “Era Uma Vez Minha Primeira Vez,” based on a book by best-selling Brasilian author Thalita Rebouças, a production for Warner Bros.

    Additionally, A Fábrica is currently producing four docu-series focused on true crime, including “O Caso Henry,” about a child’s murder that shocked Brasil a year ago. And the studio’s first original documentary, “Filho da Mãe,” is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video December 16.

    A Fábrica is also establishing itself on the international front, developing acclaimed TV and film projects, including “Concrete Jungle,” a series loosely based on Edyr Augusto’s book and created by Renato Fagundes and W. Peter lliff and directed by Vicente Amorim; “The Yellow Passport,” a feature film based on the book by Maha Mamo and directed by Bruno Barreto; “Haiti,” a drama series based on real events, and “Brasil Nunca Mais,” a feature film written by Renato Fagundes, to be directed by Vicente Amorim.

    The addition of A Fábrica to Banijay’s portfolio reinforces the wider group’s overarching commitment to and investment in, growing its scripted pipeline globally. Its latest announced/on-air scripted highlights include SAS: Rogue Heroes (Kudos for BBC One), Marie Antoinette (Banijay Studios France, CAPA Drama, Les Gens France for Canal+ and BBC Two), Domina (Tiger Aspect for Sky Atlantic), Riding in Darkness (Jarowskij for CMORE/TV4), Ronja (Filmlance for Viaplay), Fallen (Filmlance for CMORE/TV4/ZDF), Bosé (Shine Iberia, VIS, Elefantec Global, Legacy Rock for Paramount Plus), Ripley (Endemol Shine North America for SHOWTIME), Gypsy Bride (Diaganol TV for Antena3), Dance Brothers (Endemol Shine Finland for Netflix), and Two Tone (Kudos for BBC One).

     

     

  4. Banijay Opening Largest Independent Production Studio Facility in Latin America

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    Banijay, the world’s leading producer and distributor of international content, is set to open the largest independent production studio facility in Latin America, Banijay Studios Brasil, in 2023, it was announced today by Ben Samek, President and Chief Operating Officer, Banijay Americas.

    Based in São Paulo, Banijay Studios Brasil is nearly 250,000 square feet (more than 70,000 m2) and will welcome third-party TV and film clients alike. The studio deal was led by Samek, Endemol Shine Latino President Laurens Drillich and Endemol Shine Brasil CEO Nani Freitas.

    The studio will be managed by the team at Endemol Shine Brasil, the leading independent studio in Brasil, behind many of the nation’s top-rated unscripted series.

    The studio will offer a variety of options for productions of all sizes, with indoor and outdoor facilities, world-class technology, scenography sheds and modern office space for producers and talent. The new facility is being built in Guarulhos, located just miles from São Paulo’s international airport and is expected to open its doors next spring.

    “We are always looking for new opportunities to grow our business and strengthen our local production companies and at the same time, enhance the quality of our shows,” says Drillich. “So, when the team at Endemol Shine Brasil came to us with a plan to build a studio complex in São Paulo, we were immediately interested. There is currently a huge demand for studio space in Brasil, a very important market for us, with one of the most engaged audiences in the world and endless possibilities. Our parent company at Banijay recognized this made a lot of sense and quickly made the necessary investments to make Banijay Studios Brasil a reality.”

    Freitas added, “Here in Brasil, we have seen record growth in original television production over the last few years and with that growth, there has been a tremendous demand for audiovisual facilities for studios like ours to deliver high-quality programming to networks and streaming platforms alike. So, we chose to build this new world-class facility, where we can both produce our own original content and also offer third-party clients the opportunity to produce their series in this beautiful, massive new space, as well.”

    Endemol Shine Brasil, which just celebrated its 15th anniversary, currently produces hits for Globo, Netflix, HBO Max, Band, Discovery Home & Health, Record, MTV, GNT and numerous other outlets. And it’s behind such hit series as Love Is Blind, MasterChef, Survivor, All Together Now, Rio Shore, The Rolling Kitchen, Iron Chef, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Wall, Masked Singer, Queen Stars and recently launchedMasterChef+.

  5. Banijay Americas Launches New Production Studio Banijay Mexico & U.S. Hispanic

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    Banijay Americas is launching new production studio Banijay Mexico and U.S. Hispanic, which will be led by multiple-Emmy nominated producer Marie Leguizamo, it was announced today by Cris Abrego, Chairman of the Americas, Banijay and President and CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings.

     

    The studio will be based in both Mexico City and at Banijay America’s Los Angeles offices and focus on original content in both English and Spanish for broadcast, cable and streamers in the Mexican and U.S. Hispanic markets. Leguizamo, who has served as an executive producer for top unscripted series for the company over the last decade, will serve as the studio’s Managing Director.

     

    Leguizamo has produced unscripted television for nearly two decades, and her vision and concepts have led to record-breaking ratings and successes. In 2019, Leguizamo signed an overall development and executive producer deal with the company’s sister Mexico City-based studio Endemol Shine Boomdog.

     

    Endemol Shine Boomdog, which is led by CEO Alejandro Rincon, continues to be the leading independent producer in the region, behind such unscripted and scripted hits as ¿Quién Es La Mascara(Televisa/Univision), La Casa de los Famosos (Telemundo), Mira Quien Baila (Univision), Subete a Mi Moto(Amazon Prime), Nicky Jam: El Ganador (Netflix) and much more.

     

    Leguizamo just wrapped executive producing the third and fourth seasons of Boomdog and Amazon Prime’s Last One Laughing (LOL) with Eugenio Derbez and has served as the showrunner/EP on such Spanish-language hit series as La Voz Kids for Telemundo, Pequeños Gigantes USA and Mira Quien Baila.

     

    “We are truly excited to be launching a new studio that’s focused on developing and producing original content for the Mexican and U.S. Hispanic marketplaces and to have someone like Marie at the helm,” said Abrego. “Marie is perfectly suited for this role—she’s one of the most respected producers in this space, she has deep roots in both nations and is entrepreneurial at heart.”

     

    “I am honored to be given this unique opportunity to lead a new label focused on creating fresh and innovative content for both Mexican and U.S. Hispanic audiences,” says Leguizamo. “It’s an incredibly exciting time in this space right now, with so many networks and emerging platforms looking to acquire premium programming. I thank Cris Abrego and our team for trusting me with this new role and I can’t wait to further establish Banijay as a leader in this territory.”

     

    Most recently, Leguizamo served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on Amazon Prime and Endemol Shine Boomdog’s LOL, a series that she has helmed for three of its four seasons. She has been recognized twice by the International Emmy association with nominations for her work on La Voz Kids and she also garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination for LOL.

     

    Leguizamo served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on Univision’s Pequeños Gigantes and she’s produced a variety of network performance/competition-centric shows including two seasons of Carnival Corporations’ La Gran Sorpresa and Endemol Shine Boomdog’s top-rated series Mira Quien Baila. Additionally, she has produced various shows such as Nuestra Belleza LatinaViva El Sueño, Premios Juventud, El Juego de Oro and Billboard All Access.

  6. Cris Abrego Becomes First Latino Chair of Television Academy Foundation

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    The Television Academy Foundation today announced its newly elected board officers, including its first-ever Latino chair, who will serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022.

     

    Officers elected to serve two-year terms are: Foundation Chair Cris Abrego, Chairman of the Americas, Banijay, and President and CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings; Vice Chair Jonathan Murray, Bunim/Murray Productions co-founder; Treasurer Deborah Bradley, president of Bungalo Homes, Amherst; and Secretary Billie Greer, a public policy advisor and consultant.

     

    “I am thrilled and honored to serve as Foundation chair and look forward to working with the board and staff as we build a more inclusive entertainment business,” said Abrego. “During these unprecedented times, we are expanding our reach to serve an even greater number of diverse students from across the country, advancing the Foundation’s goals of helping to shape the careers of the next generation of television professionals.”

     

    Cris Abrego – Chair

    As the newly named Chairman of the Americas, Banijay, and President and CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings, Abrego leads operations in North America and Latin America for the world’s leading content producer and distributor with a diverse portfolio of companies that are behind hit television formats including Lego Masters, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Big Brother, MasterChef, Wipeout, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Biggest Loser and Utopia.

     

    Abrego’s oversight includes Endemol Shine North America, Bunim/Murray Productions, Authentic Entertainment, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment, Stephen David Entertainment and Yellow Bird U.S. In Latin America,

     

    Abrego also oversees Endemol Shine Latino, the company’s Spanish- and Portuguese-language sales and development arm.

     

    As one of the highest-ranking Latino leaders in television, Abrego has made inclusion a top priority for his team at Endemol Shine and throughout the entertainment industry. In 2019 Abrego received the prestigious President’s Award at the 34th annual Imagen Awards, which were established to encourage positive portrayals of Latinos in the media.

     

    Under Abrego’s leadership, Endemol Shine has been a host company for the Television Academy Foundation’s Summer Internship Program for more than six years.

     

    Abrego succeeds Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, who served two consecutive terms (2017-2020) as chair of the Foundation. Di Nonno will remain on the Foundation’s board of directors.

     

    Jonathan Murray – Vice Chair

    As co-founder of Bunim/Murray Productions, Murray is widely credited with helping to usher in the modern reality television genre with his late partner Mary-Ellis Bunim when they launched The Real World on MTV in 1992. Murray has executive produced some of the industry’s most popular unscripted television shows including Project Runway, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Challenge, The Simple Life, Starting Over, Family or Fiancé and Making the Band. He has won two primetime Emmy® Awards for Born This Way, a series documenting the lives of young adults with Down syndrome, and the documentary Autism: The Musical. His most recent documentary titled TransHood premiered on HBO in November 2020

    In 2012 Murray was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. He has served multiple terms on the board of the Television Academy representing the Reality Peer Group and has been a co-chair of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards committee.

    Murray and Bunim/Murray Productions have been avid supporters of the Foundation’s annual Summer Internship Program through the years, hosting and hiring numerous interns who have come through the program.

    Deborah Bradley – Treasurer 

    Bradley serves as president of Bungalo Homes, a technology-enabled platform transforming the residential real estate experience, and a division of investment manager, Amherst. Bradley is responsible for all aspects of scaling the consumer-facing business. Prior to joining Amherst in 2018, Bradley served for 25+ years in various executive capacities for global media companies, including Paramount Pictures, ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia/Turner Broadcasting. Among positions she’s held throughout her career are acting general manager of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim; head of acquisitions for Turner Entertainment Networks;

    programming operations for TNT and tbs; and head of cable sales, CBS Distribution.

     

    Bradley has been on the Foundation’s board since 2016, serving both as chair of its Emmys Golf Classic and on development committees.

     

    Billie Greer – Secretary

    Greer is a public policy advisor and consultant. From 2011-2015, she served as president of the Southern California Leadership Council, founded by four former California governors and Southern California business and community leaders, to address and solve public policy issues critical to the region’s economic vitality. Greer served as director of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Los Angeles regional office and was a member of his senior staff from 2004-2010. In 2004 Billie was inducted into the National Association of Women Business Owners/LA’s Hall of Fame and was designated a “Women of Distinction” by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2005. She has been honored by the Black Business Association of Los Angeles and the NAACP Long Beach branch.

     

    Greer has been on the Television Academy Foundation’s board of directors since 2010 and serves on its development committee. This is her second term as Foundation secretary; she previously held the position for the 2011-2012 term.

     

    In addition, Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Thomas Sarnoff, president of Sarnoff Entertainment Corporation, will continue to serve on the Foundation’s Executive Committee as Chair Emeritus and Founding Chair Emeritus, respectively.

     

    About the Television Academy Foundation

    Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Television Academy Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of television while educating and inspiring those who will shape its future. Through renowned educational and outreach programs, such as The Interviews: An Oral History of Television Project, College Television Awards and Student Internship Program, the Foundation seeks to widen the circle of voices our industry represents and to create more opportunity for television to reflect all of society. For more information on the Foundation, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com/Foundation.