Tag Archive: Banijay Germany

  1. Banijay’s Blow Up Lands First European Sale

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    Banijay today announces Banijay Productions Germany, part of Banijay Germany, will produce the first European adaptation of the new hit entertainment format, Blow Up (Die Ballon show), for RTL Germany. Blow Up was originally created by EndemolShine Nederland for RTL 4.

    A one-of-a-kind, colourful and creative competition format, Blow Up draws audiences into the magical world of balloon art, as the nation’s best-in-their-craft battle it out. Within a limited timeframe, the balloon artists must complete unique challenges and wow the expert judges with their mesmerising creations. Who has what it takes to be crowned the best balloon artist and blow the competition away in this fun and uplifting entertainment show?

    EndemolShine Nederland launched the format on RTL 4 earlier this year, hitting number one in its slot on all commercial key demos, with the slot average up 168% for 6-12-year-olds.  It was recently announced that the show is heading to Australia, and will be produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Channel 7 and 7plus.

    Arno Schneppenheim, Managing Director of Banijay Productions Germany says: “I can’t wait for German audiences to be blown away by the designs and imagination the balloon artists possess. Afterwatching an episode and seeing the creations, you will forget any associations you may have had between balloons and children’s parties. The teams at Banijay Productions Germany and RTL Germany are ready to bring this show, which is fun, unpredictable, and full of warmth, to viewers of all ages.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay adds:Blow Up delivers fresh, joyful, high-energy entertainment, which layers jeopardy, skill and awe-inspiring creations. A celebration of unbelievable craftsmanship and imagination, the show perfectly complements our outstanding portfolio of highly regarded competition reality formats, sitting alongside the likes of MasterChef. With the first European adaptation hot on the heels of the commission in Australia, we are excited to see where Blow Up will go next.”

    Banijay Productions Germany is a leading production company within its market, producing hit formats such as Temptation Island and Battle of the Reality Stars. It was recently announced Banijay Productions Germany will also produce Big Bounce Battle for RTL Germany after a five-year hiatus.

    Blow Up is amongst the slate Banijay will be showcasing at MIPCOM. The world’s largest international content producer and distributor is returning to the market following a three-year hiatus, with a high-end, diverse slate of non-scripted and scripted titles.

  2. Sony Pictures Television Germany Re-Brands Under Noisy Pictures As It Joins Banijay Germany

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    Leading producer/distributor, Banijay, today announces that the planned acquisition of Sony Productions Film und Fernseh Produktions GmbH Germany (Sony Pictures Television Germany) from Sony Pictures is complete. Following customary closing conditions, Banijay Germany has secured 100% stake in the company.

    Founded in 1995, the label will operate under a new guise, Noisy Pictures GmbH, with Astrid Quentell and Mirek Nitsch remaining in position. The company is behind an impressive slate of shows including the award-winning Die Höhle der Löwen (Dragon’s Den), ZDF crime series Heldt, and thriller, Gefährliche Nähe (TVNOW/VOX).

     Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany comments: “Sony Pictures in Germany is known for high-quality scripted titles, a strong catalogue, and successful unscripted productions like Die Höhle der Löwen. On this foundation, we have every faith that the Noisy Pictures team will be another hit-maker in the Banijay Germany family.”

    Astrid Quentell, Managing Director of Noisy Pictures says: “We are thrilled to be part of Banijay. Looking to the future, we want to maintain the strength of our independent label, with continuity in our productions on the one hand, and fresh impulses derived from creative exchanges across the new family on the other.”

    Founded in 2018 by Marcus Wolter and Banijay, Banijay Germany GmbH now comprises over 20 independent labels and is the country’s leading entertainment engine, developing, creating, and producing a hugely diverse array of formats across all genres, and for all clients. Popular titles include Tatort Dresden, Schlag den Star (Beat the Star), TV Total, Wer wird Millionär? (Who Wants to be a Millionaire?), Kitchen Impossible, The Masked Singer, Promi Big Brother (Celebrity Big Brother), Mein Lokal, Dein Lokal and Kampf der Realitystars (Battle of the Reality Stars), as well as live shows like 1Live Köln Comedy Night XXL and Nightwash, numerous podcasts and comedy platform MySpass.de.

  3. Nico Rossmann Joins Banijay Germany’s Brainpool TV

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    Banijay today announces Nico Rossman will join Brainpool TV GmbH, part of Banijay Germany, as the Co-Managing Director, where he will be responsible for overseeing a new comedy unit within the label. He joins the management team alongside Brainpool CEO, Marcus Wolter, and Co-Managing Director, Godehard Wolpers.

    Rossmann is a TV producer with a passion for entertainment. Joining from RTL Television, where he was Head of Comedy, he developed and oversaw shows including Ninja Warrior Germany and Frei Schnauze, as well as the stage shows for comedians such as Carolin Kebekus, Sascha Grammel, Chris Tall, and the Ehrlich Brothers. Prior to RTL Germany, he held positions at Tresor TV and Norddeich TV.

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany and CEO Brainpool says: “Nico is an excellent creator of comedy and entertainment formats. I am very pleased that he has accepted the role of Co-Managing Director for Brainpool. With Raab TV, Godehard Wolpers and Nico, we will be ideally positioned to build on our comedy offerings, big shows, and relationship with artists. Welcome, Nico!”

    Nico Rossmann adds: “In my opinion, Brainpool is Germany’s number one comedy brand, with decades of entertainment experience. It also operates to the highest standards and is incredibly innovative. That’s why I’m very pleased to help shape the future of this successful label, both on the production side and in the development of future hit formats alongside the outstanding team. My thanks go to RTL Germany, especially Markus Küttner, for six great years in the TV entertainment department.”

    Brainpool TV, founded in 1994, is a leading production company in Germany. It boasts an impressive slate of titles including Beat the Star, Catch!, Ladykracker and the Free European Song Contest.

  4. Banijay Germany’s SR Management Strengthens its Music Division

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    Banijay today announces SR Management, part of Banijay Germany, will launch SRM Music. Chris Klimek will lead this new division and report to SR Management Managing Director, Sascha Rinne.

    SRM Music will take over the operational business for all music-relevant artist management areas, as well as build up the division’s booking, publishing, and label sources. In addition to the management of artists Giovanni Zarrella, Mike Leon Grosch, and Ramon Roselly, the company will welcome new pop artists and offer personalised representation strategies.

    Klimek brings extensive experience as a passionate music industry expert and artist manager, having previously worked at BMG Köln, Roadrunner Records, earMUSIC/EDEL, and Ivy Quainoo/The Voice of Germany.

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany says: “With the expansion of SRM Music, we are strategically building on our offering within this important entertainment space. Combining the power of our Banijay family, Sascha’s team, and Chris, we are well placed to create successful careers for artists.”

    Sasha Rinne, Managing Director of SR Management comments: “At SRM Music, we want to expand our management expertise and are very pleased that Chris, an established and respected entertainment professional, will take the helm for this task.”

    Chris Klimek, Head of SR Management Music adds: “I am very much looking forward to this challenge and thank Sascha and Marcus for their trust! The set-up at SR Management GmbH and Banijay Germany is unique, and my focus for all our music artists will be to utilise our concentrated entertainment know-how as synergistically as possible, in order to deliver a professional, creative and successful environment.”

    Banijay Germany is an association of independent entertainment producers and entrepreneurs. Made up of 20 labels, the entity is behind numerous well-known brands including Celebrity Big Brother, Schlag den Star, Battle of the Reality Stars, Temptation Island, Tatort Dresden, The Masked Singer and, Kitchen Impossible.

  5. Banijay Germany Enters Joint Venture with influence.vision

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    Banijay Germany announces continued growth in the tech and influencer realm via new partnership with influence.vision.

    As the largest independent producer of TV, digital and live content in Germany, Banijay Germany aims to further professionalise influencer marketing by combining its high-quality storytelling and talent relationships, with influence.vision’s technology, platform and content creator expertise.

    Founded in 2017, the Austrian start-up is an all-in-one solution for influencer marketing, present in three territories with customers throughout Europe. To date, influence.vision has connected over 1000 brands and content creators on a common platform. It has implemented campaigns for numerous brands including Dyson, NordVPN, Universal Pictures, and refurbed, and also offers individual campaign consulting and integrated reporting to measure conversion and campaign goals. The start-up is completely agnostic to social media and works with creators across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Podcast, and Facebook.

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany says: “influence.vision is the best platform to connect brands with influencers and therefore, a great fit for us to build on our offerings in this important space. The brand’s marketplace is a consistent, and strategic addition to our ecosystem, and in Florian and Branko, we have two smart, highly talented young entrepreneurs. I am very much looking forward to collaborating with them to shape the content creator economy of the future.”

    Branko Markovic, Co-Founder & Co-CEO influencer.vision: “As a fast-growing tech start-up, the market in which you operate is crucial. Internationally, influencer marketing is currently estimated at $16.4 billion and is growing by 40% annually. It is our ambition to set the industry standard, and a global business like Banijay is the perfect partner for this.”

    Florian Bösenkopf, Co-Founder & Co-CEO influencer.vision: “The exciting thing about this partnership is that we have a common vision with Banijay that is very unique in the current influencer market. Influencers and content creators are more than just pure reach, they are digital storymakers in their own right. The group and its creatives have been helping to shape the zeitgeist of our society for many years, and as a tech player, we can use it to connect the best content creators and artists under one brand and develop the most creative concepts for advertisers.”

    Banijay Germany is an association of independent entertainment producers and entrepreneurs. Made up of 20 labels, the entity is behind numerous well-known brands including Celebrity Big Brother, LEGO® Masters, Schlag den Star, Battle of the Reality Stars, Temptation Island, Tatort Dresden, The Masked Singer and, Kitchen Impossible.

  6. Banijay Germany’s Labels Expand Their Teams

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    Banijay Germany today announces a series of appointments and moves across its local entities, with Panagiota Vafea joining Endemol Shine Germany as Executive Director and Tom Kühn as Executive Producer; and over at Good Times, Shona Fraser will join Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petrsen as joint Managing Director, with Creative Director, Cornelia Landgraf, promoted to Deputy Managing Director.

     

    Vafea joins Endemol Shine Germany’s Management Team from ITV Studios Germany where she was Executive Producer, overseeing hit shows including Dancing on Ice and long-running German formats, Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! and Grill den Henssler. She will be responsible for a wide variety of formats, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, LEGO® Masters and Beauty and the Geek. Endemol Shine Germany also welcomes Executive Producer Tom Kühn to the family, following 18 years at i&u TV production where he produced ARD’s popular Saturday evening show, Klein gegen Groß. Prior to that, he was a journalist for Stern TV.

     

    Elsewhere, Good Times welcomes Shona Fraser as joint Managing Director, alongside Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petersen. In her previous role as head of entertainment at RTLZwei, Fraser was responsible for hit formats such as Battle of the Reality Stars, Love Island and Naked Attraction. The company also announces the promotion of Cornelia Landgraf to Deputy Managing Director. In her new role, Landgraf will work closely with MDs Fahrenkrog-Petersen and Fraser, having been with the label for 15 years, as an editor, in development, and most recently as Creative Director.

     

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director of Endemol Shine Germany says: “Panagiota is a trusted award-winning producer and a valuable asset to our Management Board. We also warmly welcome Tom to the Endemol Shine Germany family who brings his wealth of TV expertise to the company. With our strengthened team, we are ideally positioned in the market to further drive success for our existing and upcoming projects and will continue to be at the forefront of shaping the industry.”

     

    Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Founder and MD of Good Times says: “Shona is one of the most experienced television creators in the industry and is the perfect person to join Good Times as we expand our portfolio in the areas of reality and entertainment. I am also delighted to continuing working with Cornelia. She is a passionate television producer, with a keen sense of what makes a good story and I am grateful for her years of loyalty and dedication to Good Times.”

  7. Banijay Germany Partners with Stephan Denzer to Found Fiction Label, Good Humor

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    Banijay today announces the 1 November launch of a new label to its portfolio, Good Humor. The co-founded entity sees Banijay Germany CEO, Marcus Wolter, bring former editorial director for comedy and cabaret at ZDF, Stephan Denzer, back to television. Based in Cologne, the comedy fiction label will be headed by the latter as managing director and executive producer.

     

    Good Humor will focus its output on humorous fiction formats, from comedy series and sitcoms, to comedies and sketch shows. Commencing as a start-up, the business will look to organic growth via the wider power of the Banijay group and its capacity as a world-leading distributor, with the ultimate goal of enriching comedy output in Germany and beyond.

     

    From July 2019, Denzer was head of the Mainzer Kleinkunstbühne Unterhaus. Previously, he headed the Cabaret and Comedy division at ZDF within the “Show” editorial department. There for ten years, he was at the forefront of establishing a host of successful comedy brands. Under his leadership, he created the Heute Show, Neues aus der Anstalt, Sketch History, and comedy fiction formats like Merz gegen Merz, Nix Festes and Ellerbeck. From 2016, Denzer was also responsible for all comedy formats on ZDFneo and 3Sat in addition to those for ZDF’s main schedule.

     

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany comments: “Stephan Denzer has decisively shaped the comedy successes of ZDF for over 15 years. Standing for quality, he certainly knows his way around sitcoms and comedy series. With his creativity and experience, we believe Good Humor will be a resounding success in Germany and look forward to the new partnership.”

     

    Stephan Denzer: “We believe good humour is important in a time full of challenges, in order to give us joy and thus strengthening our resilience. With the backing of Banijay, we want to create formats with relevance, originality and a lot of love, in order to perhaps bring a little more lightness and laughter to the world and hope to find partners who share this vision.

  8. Banijay Productions Germany Establishes New Documentary Unit, Doc. Banijay

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    Banijay Productions Germany GmbH confirms it has expanded its portfolio into documentary series with new label, Doc.Banijay. The new entity is set to be led by Executive Producer Marc Schlömer, who reports to Banijay Productions Managing Director, Arno Schneppenheim.

     

    Marc Schlömer has spent 20 years at broadcaster ARD as a Bundesliga football league commentator, and as the author of documentaries including Das Leben ist ein Hauch. During his time there, he was awarded a German Television Award for his reports for WDR magazine, Sport Inside. Schlömer is also known for addressing climate change and socio-politics topics, having produced projects for ARD-Weltspiegel and Swiss Television. These are areas which he will continue to tackle through the Banijay-backed Doc unit.

     

    Schlömer is renouncing his participation as a reporter at the Olympic Games but will maintain his broadcasting roles for ARD at the European Football Championship. Additionally, he will continue to contribute to Sport Inside and the online series, “No Sports!?”, for WDR.

     

    Other genres, including Factual, Reality and Comedy will continue to be led by Banijay Productions Germany’s Creative Director, Katrin Heller.

     

    Marc Schlömer: “For me, the fact that I get the chance to co-found and build a docu-department within Europe’s largest production group is an honour. I am grateful to the ARD managers for allowing me to step back from upcoming tasks in the summer so that we can get started straight away at Banijay Productions Germany.”

     

    Arno Schneppenheim, Managing Director of Banijay Productions Germany: “I have long been interested in the genre of journalistic documentation and with brilliant talent such as Marc leading, we have the perfect expert to create this new arm within Banijay Productions Germany.”

  9. Banijay Germany Launches New Label, Banijay Live Artist Brand

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    Banijay Germany confirms new label Banijay Live Artist Brand (BLAB), led by Managing Director Ingrid Langheld, with Daniel Durst joining the management from July 1, 2021.

     

    Banijay Live Artist Brand will focus on the strategic promotion of established artists and young talent, the development of live formats, and the creation and production of digital entertainment content. The label will produce for broadcasters, platforms, streamers and audio providers, and will house a digital content unit to produce originals for its own platforms, as well as distribute original podcasts. Banijay Live Artist Brand operates its own comedy digital distribution channel, MySpass, which already reaches more than 14.5 million followers and up to 220 million monthly video views on social media.

     

    Building on years of know-how, Banijay Live Artist Brand is set to develop content with all of Banijay Germany’s companies, in close co-operation with Brainpool, Endemol Shine Germany, Good Times, Banijay Productions, MadeFor and the artist management labels. A 360° license evaluation of Banijay’s extensive catalogue will attract fans and viewers to the programme brands.

     

    Ingrid Langheld, former Managing Director of Brainpool’s live artist and brand division, will be joined by Daniel Durst to lead the division. Durst comes from Bertelsmann, where he worked on new product strategies as Chief Product Manager. He has previously held positions at Axel Springer, including Head of Strategic Product Development, Product Director of Upday and Director, Consumer Products of BILD and WELT.

     

     

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany: “Banijay Live Artist Brand brings the unique opportunity to establish future-oriented entertainment brands and artists with the entire backing of Banijay Germany. Ingrid’s team of experienced and talented marketing, digital and live production experts can guarantee artists and brands maximum attention on all high-reach media platforms. ”

     

    Ingrid Langheld, Managing Director Banijay Live Action Brand: “I’m looking forward to taking the company to the next level with my team, and to creating extraordinary entertainment worlds for brands on all platforms, with our artists, partners and colleagues from Banijay. With Daniel as Co-Managing Director, we have a proven digital strategist and I am excited to shape the future together with him. “

  10. MadeFor Announces Latest Contemporary Scripted Slate

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    MadeFor, the scripted arm of Banijay Germany, confirms it is producing two new shows, Loving Her and Mirella Saves the World (Mirella Schulze rettet die Welt), set to air later this year.

     

    A LGBTQ+ female love story, Loving Her centres around Hanna (Banafshe Hourmazdi) a woman in her early twenties. In six episodes, we follow Hanna’s journey through different romances, affairs, heartbreak and ultimately (self-) love.

     

    On the weekend when Hanna moves out of her apartment, heading into an unknown future in pandemic times, she runs into her childhood sweetheart Franzi (Lena Klenke). This reunion sets Hanna on a journey of reflection as she considers what each of her ex-girlfriends have taught her and how they have shaped the person she is today. Produced by Tasja Abel and Philine Zebralla, this new drama will air on ZDFmediathek and ZDFneo and is an adaptation of Dutch series, Anne+.

     

    Eight-part dramedy, Mirella Saves the World, will be available on TVNOW this spring. Mirella is an uncompromising 13-year-old environmental activist, and her acts against climate change do not always go down well at home. With a selfie queen sister, a fast-food loving brother, and parents in not very eco-friendly occupations, the family is driven to the edge with Mirella’s crusade. Will Mirella’s determination convince those around her to start thinking beyond themselves or will she come up against a brick wall? Ralf Husmann will be the showrunner on this new production.

     

     

    Nanni Erben, Co-CEO of MadeFor comments: “I am very happy that with Loving

    Her and Mirella we are producing two extremely entertaining series. Even though the focus of both series is very different – they both deal with very relevant topics and capture the contemporary zeitgeist. I really like that Mirella shows that environmental protection can be portrayed in a very funny way. It is also exciting that Loving Her is a so-called “instant series”. There is only a short period between idea, filming and broadcast, that allows a sense of currency, which is unusual in fictional programmes.”

     

    Gunnar Juncken, Co-CEO of MadeFor adds:Loving Her and Mirella Saves the World are two distinct, compelling projects, which we hope will resonate. Audiences are looking for new dramas and we are excited to deliver these charming and funny productions to ZDFneo and TVNOW.”

     

    Based in Berlin, MadeFor launched in February 2020 and is led by Joint CEOs, producer Nanni Erben, and Gunnar Juncken. The company is responsible for creating and producing premium scripted series and films for the local and international market, while also pursuing opportunities for co-productions via Banijay and other platforms and partners.

     

    Recent and forthcoming series include Teacher on Withdrawal, a short-form web comedy series for ZDFneo, long-running series, Tatort, which follows investigators Gorniak (Karin Hanczewski), Winkler (Cornelia Gröschel) and Schnabel (Martin Brambach); along with Frau Jordan stellt gleich for Joyn and Marie Catches Fire for ZDF.

  11. Endemol Shine Germany Launches New Reality Label with Rainer Laux

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    Banijay Germany confirms the creation of Rainer Laux Productions GmbH, a collaboration between renowned and successful TV producer, Rainer Laux, and Endemol Shine Germany.

     

    With his many years of experience and an exceptionally strong celebrity network, Laux will continue to expand the development, production and sales of new reality formats under the Endemol Shine Germany umbrella.

     

    Laux is behind some of Germany’s biggest reality hits; he was producer of the first Big Brother season in Germany for Endemol in 2000 and made Celebrity Big Brother for Sat.1, a talk-of-the-town format. This year, two series of Big Brother aired in Germany, with civilian and celebrity versions produced under Covid-19 guidelines.

     

    In spring of this year, Rainer Laux, his team, and the in-house developers of Promis unter Palmen (Paradise Hell), achieved outstanding ratings of up to 21.2 percent market share (14-49 years) on Sat.1. The format is now part of the Banijay Rights catalogue.

     

    Further upcoming projects for various streaming providers and broadcasters are set for 2021, includingClaudia’s House of Love, a format with reality star Claudia Obert, which launched on 7 January on Joyn. In addition to the reality shows, Rainer Laux retains responsibility for all formats with presenter Julia Leischik and reality personality, Daniela Katzenberger.

     

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director, Endemol Shine Germany: “Rainer lives and breathes reality and I am so pleased about the collaboration. With him, we are a magnet for reality stars and a reliable partner to provide broadcasters and streamers with reality hits.”

     

    Rainer Laux, Managing Director, Rainer Laux Productions: “The new company is called “Rainer Laux Productions… Much more than Reality TV”. Our aim is to create formats for our partners that get Germany talking and have international potential. We offer a home for celebrities and colleagues who love entertainment and reality.”

  12. Banijay Germany and Sascha Rinne Management Form Joint Venture

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    Banijay Germany is strengthening its group of independent entertainment companies by taking a majority stake in SR Management GmbH. Founder Sascha Rinne remains on board as managing director and co-shareholder.

     

    The SR Management GmbH has an impressive portfolio of talent from the world of entertainment. Presenters, entertainment/comedy, sports & lifestyle are among the core areas of the agency. In addition to talent management, the company has been increasingly focusing on the production of its own content for the past two years. Since 2018, its own content team, led by Tobias Holtkamp, has been designing exclusive formats and series for various brands, media providers and online platforms. Under the label “Podcastbande”, SR Management produces The Pochers Here for Audio Now. For the Cologne Sharks, the multi-part ice hockey documentary Unter Haien was created,which is now in its second season.

     

    This new venture supports Banijay Germany’s ethos of partnering with like-minded, independent and entrepreneurially-managed companies. It will combine the relevant producers and media companies which Sascha Rinne and his team work with, with the range of TV formats, development, digital marketing and live expertise that Banijay Germany has available across its entities.

     

    Marcus Wolter, CEO Banijay Germany:“Sascha has been synonymous with the sustainable, strategic development of artists’ careers for many years. He has built up a powerful, well-connected and positioned talent agency. I am very pleased that he has now decided to partner with Banijay.”

     

    Sascha Rinne, GF SR Management: “The entertainment industry has changed a lot in recent years and we have set ourselves the goal of innovating our agency with it. We see the partnership with Banijay not only as a step, but as a leap into the future. We will now offer our partners and customers an even stronger network – at all levels. Personally, I am very happy to have found the ideal partnership with a big player like Banijay, which on the one hand, significantly strengthens us and on the other, allows us to continue to operate independently.”