Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Delbert Shoopman

  1. The Natural Studios Signs Coyote Peterson

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    The Natural Studios, a joint venture with Banijay, the world’s largest independent producer/distributor, today announces it has formalized a partnership with YouTube sensation, Coyote Peterson. Through this deal, the fearless wildlife documenter will collaborate with onscreen adventure star, Bear Grylls and the label’s Co-CEO, Delbert Shoopman, in creating new IP for audiences worldwide.

    Peterson first landed on screens in 2014 via his YouTube channel, Brave Wilderness, which now boasts nearly 20-million subscribers. Referred to as “The King of Sting”, he became a significant figure in the wildlife space as his wildly entertaining encounters with the world’s most dangerous, and often misunderstood, species have racked up billions of views. From unfathomable interactions with stinging insects like the notorious murder hornet, to venomous bites at the merciless jaws of giant centipedes, his extreme approach has earned him a fearless reputation and a global following. Yet his work goes far beyond the extreme bites and stings, as his content cleverly boasts a rich layer of education and always embraces a powerful message for the conservation of our planet’s species. Outside the fanbase he has built, in 2015, he picked up an International Emmy Kids Award for his online series, Breaking Trail, and since 2017, has proudly held a Guinness World Record for the most-subscribed account dedicated to animals in the digital landscape.

    After taking YouTube by storm, he has since gone on to be the face of Animal Planet’s internationally distributed Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild, and has also appeared on a multitude of day and night-time talk shows including Conan, where he appeared alongside Jeff Goldblum, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and during the pandemic, stepped up for a video call with U.S. President, Joe Biden, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, to promote the vaccine programme.

    Bear Grylls comments: “The Natural Studios was born from a passion for adventure and many of our strategic partnerships have been concentrated in this space. Coyote is a raw talent who has captured a global market, and he lives and breathes our sense of adventure exploration. Millions around the world have been inspired by his YouTube endeavours and this love of wildlife. Together with Del and the team, I can’t wait to see how we can bring his passion and spirit to our clients in both the US and beyond.”

     

    Coyote Peterson comments: “Over the past decade, my team and I have worked tirelessly to be this generation’s voice for the animals of our planet. On every step of the journey, I’ve followed and have been inspired by the career that Bear has built, always dreaming that one day I would have the chance to venture alongside him. They say that with hard work, dreams come true, for me, this is that moment, the opportunity of a lifetime. No one knows mud, blood, sweat and tears better than Bear and by teaming up with The Natural Studios, we will have an unprecedented positive influence on the adventure and wildlife space for generations to come.”

     

    Peterson and Grylls will kick off their collaboration by putting a focus into conservation. The Brave Wilderness YouTube channel just released a juggernaut episode titled The Game of Horns which is focused on the plight of Africa’s rhinoceros’ species. Lensed in the Eastern Cape, it delivers a powerful message and prompts viewers to get behind Peterson and Grylls’ “Save the Horns” fundraising initiative, which will ultimately bring greater protections to these vanishing giants.

    Watch the episode and join the fight by clicking on this link: https://youtu.be/gMN4_gYjDH0.

    Peterson is represented by Alex Murray of Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

  2. Team Whistle, Banijay Group and The Natural Studios Announce Bear Grylls Digital Network, Launching This Fall

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    Today at NewFronts Team Whistle, a global media and entertainment company that includes Whistle, Tiny Horse, New Form and Vertical Networks, announced a partnership with Banijay Group, which has a joint venture with The Natural Studios, to launch the Bear Grylls Digital Network. The partnership will produce digitally native shows, bringing the far-reaching world of Bear Grylls through multiple series to social platforms like never before.

     

    Team Whistle, Banijay and The Natural Studios will build the leading digital-only network for brand-safe, outdoor lifestyle and adventure programming, with content and series featuring Bear Grylls and Team Whistle talent. With travel currently on hiatus for most people around the world, Bear’s global adventures serve to encourage viewers of all ages to be inspired to explore and be challenged to go for it in their lives – and to be empowered with adventure skills. The forthcoming network’s slate of series reaches young audiences through Team Whistle’s expertise in relatable, uplifting content to introduce a new generation of adventurers to the outdoor icon’s shows.

     

    “This is about giving people access to the coolest tips and tricks of survival, as well as a look behind-the-scenes of my adventures, my life and my friends,” said Bear Grylls. “Ultimately, we want to empower people to be able to survive and thrive in the wild and in life.”

     

    “At The Natural Studios, we continue to strive to bring adventure and the great outdoors direct to people’s homes,” said Delbert Shoopman, Co-CEO, The Natural Studios. “Social provides that instant sense of intimacy and immediacy that fans and adventurers love. We can’t wait to get started on introducing our followers to more of our friends and remarkable fellow adventurers.”

     

    “Team Whistle’s positive and relatable media network reaches massive audiences with programming centered around lifestyle, sports, gaming and entertainment content, and Banijay and The Natural Studios are the perfect partners to bring the wild world of Bear Grylls to our viewers,” said Michael Cohen, president of Team Whistle. “Bear is a household name in outdoor and survival content, and these new digitally native shows will bring our uplifting attitude to a whole new world of outdoor adventure.”

     

    “Bear is a class act and a real force for good. He is the outdoor category,” said Benjamin Simon, head of Tiny Horse’s advertising sales group, Palomino. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with Bear on a handful of projects over the years and we’re thrilled to be reunited again as a part of Team Whistle. Now, in partnership with Banijay and The Natural Studios, we will bring a new slate of digital-first shows to young audiences, in collaboration with advertisers, that take audiences out of their comfort zones through new outdoor challenges and adventures.”

     

    The Bear Grylls digital network series will be distributed globally across Bear’s social channels including YouTube, Snap, Instagram, Facebook and more, and integrated with talent from those platforms. Team Whistle’s 4.2 billion global video views per month will be bolstered by introducing a new generation of young adventurers to Bear Grylls shows. With Palomino – recently voted a top 5 most trusted media sales group by The Myers Report– exclusively representing and leading advertising sales for the network, brands can also tap into a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts.

     

    The network will launch this fall and include several new formats developed specifically for this partnership.

  3. The Natural Studios, Ben Grass and Christophe Charlier Combine Forces on Monte Cristo

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    The Natural Studios, Ben. Grass and Christophe Charlier today confirm they are collaborating on a new reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo.  Written by Tom Williams (Kajaki, Base, Chalet Girls), Monte Cristo will create a completely fresh and modern take on the timeless classic.

     

    Set in the present day, the film focuses on the friendship and bitter rivalry that develops between two special forces soldiers who are sent to war in Afghanistan. The film acts as the first foray into scripted feature films for The Natural Studios (Into the Wild with Bear Grylls) following its partnership with Banijay Group in 2019.

     

    Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman said: “We loved the idea of updating this universally-loved story of friendships, betrayal and revenge, and were completely taken by Tom Williams’ original and innovative take. This is action adventure storytelling at its finest and celebrates above all, resilience and redemption.”

     

    Ben Grass and Christophe Charlier said: “It’s an honour to collaborate with Bear, Del and Tom, on this fresh reworking of the Alexandre Dumas classic. We aim to create a captivating action film with great scale and sweep that is certain to thrill global audiences.”

     

    The producers will shortly enter talent discussions with a view to film in 2021. The project will be produced by Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman for The Natural Studios, and Ben Grass and Christophe Charlier.

  4. The Natural Studios Signs Up The Turner Twins

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    The Natural Studios, a JV formed with Banijay Group, today announces it is set to bring the Turner Twins to the small screen. Building on the business’ track-record in high-quality, popular adventure programming, Co-CEOs, Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman will place the thrill-seeking modern British adventurers in a range of precarious outdoor survival scenarios for audiences to enjoy. Development is currently well underway on a number of projects for UK and US broadcasters.

     

    The Turner Twins are pioneering British explorers who have undergone a host of world-first expeditions to aid medical and scientific research. Monitoring the performance of historic clothing and equipment and their genetic and physical makeup, the two have travelled into the unknown, reaching several Poles of inaccessibility. Having rowed the Atlantic Ocean, climbed Mount Elbrus, attempted to trek the Greenland Ice Cap, and reached the Australian, North and South American and Iberian Poles, they are no strangers to danger and going where no man has gone before.

     

    In a bid to reach all Poles of inaccessibility, the Twin’s adventures continue, discovering new knowledge to inspire positive change in the world. Now, having already partnered successfully with Banijay Asia in India on Into the Wild, The Natural Studios will team up with Banijay Group’s UK-based RDF Television to project the explorers to screen worldwide.

     

    Delbert Shoopman, Natural Studios comments: “It’s amazing to discover raw talent like the Twins. With a proven track-record in pushing the boundaries of exploration and an impressive on-screen presence, they were always destined for television. Development is already in the works and while we, like everyone, are adapting to the new protocols around production, we are confident, that with RDF, we can bring an entertaining, high-adrenaline offering to market with universal appeal.”

     

    The Turner Twins will provide the inspiration for the development process between The Natural Studios’ Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman and RDF Television’s Head of Factual Entertainment, Dan Barraclough. All projects will be developed in line with ongoing global Covid-19 restrictions.

  5. High-Octane Shift Set for India and Southeast Asia

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    Two of Banijay Group’s JVs, The Natural Studios and Banijay Asia, today announce they are partnering to bring high-octane content to the Indian and Southeast Asian market. The collaboration will see the businesses come together to create long and short-form content in this space across both local and global platforms.

     

    The Group partnership is the first for The Natural Studios, a JV launched with Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman in October 2019. Combining Grylls and Shoopman’s expertise in the adventure space with Deepak Dhar-led Banijay Asia’s extensive territory knowledge, the united operation will create and build the high-octane genre in the subcontinent. With work already underway on a development slate of projects in India and Southeast Asia, they hope to announce their first green-lit title in the coming weeks.

     

    Delbert Shoopman,  CO-CEO, The Natural Studios comments: “Conversations with Deepak followed almost immediately after launching the JV. Together we all could see the potential of venturing into a new space in India and Banijay Asia’s knowledge and contacts have been invaluable in making it a reality. Already, the response from the market has been positive and we are all looking forward to working together to establish a new genre and original IP.”

     

    “In 20 months, we have made Banijay Asia into a credible and creative content driver, which delivers high-quality content to clients across the board. The partnership with The Natural Studios came at the perfect time, as we look to create and bring new genres into the country and the region.  Adrenaline-fuelled projects have been relatively unexplored with huge potential on the horizon, and with Bear and Delbert, we are confident we have what it takes to turn this genre into a must-have for buyers in Asia and around the world” says Deepak Dhar, CEO & Founder of Banijay Asia.

     

    The latest activity further bolsters Banijay Group’s position as the “Home of Adventure” globally.

  6. Banijay Group Embarks on Adventure with Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman

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    Banijay Group, the world’s leading independent content producer and distributor, today announces the launch of new production label, The Natural Studios, from Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman. As the premiere home of adventure, the new prodco will be a global go-to adventure TV / Film production studio across all platforms, further bolstering the Group’s position in this space.

     

    The Natural Studios, which is “now open for business”, is led by Grylls and Shoopman as co-CEOs.  Backed and funded by Banijay Group, which serves as production and distribution partner, the deal will see the pair build the business into the ultimate ‘Home of Adventure’, where they will develop original IP with mass global appeal and nurture the next generation of adrenaline-fueled TV stars worldwide.

     

    While Grylls and Shoopman benefit from direct access to Banijay Group’s global production and distribution network, they will maintain full strategic control with the view to building an international production powerhouse responsible for serving traditional and digital platforms worldwide with both non-scripted and scripted content.

     

    The latest launch further cements Banijay Group’s position as a global leader in the adventure space, having built a strong reputation to date with brands including Survivor, 71 Degrees North, Fort Boyard, The Crystal Maze, SAS: Who Dares Wins and Stars on the Rocks.

     

    Collectively, Grylls and Shoopman’s shows have been watched by over 2 billion people worldwide, with an aggregated audience of 120 million for Running Wild(US). And most recently, 3.6 billion online impressions were secured when Grylls embarked on an adventure with Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

     

    Bear Grylls comments: “It has been such a journey for Delbert and I to get to the stage where we can build out our adventure shows under our own Studio. We stand on the shoulders of many giants. The ACF Investment Bank team have been incredible guides through the process – at its heart this is about building the ultimate home of adventure programming worldwide.

     

    The Natural Studios will be providing a home for the best adventure talent to help them create shows with us that inspire and move people to go for it in their lives and to never give up.”

     

    Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay Group comments: “In a crowded marketplace, with many new players, only strong talents can cut through and as the face of adventure globally, Bear does just this. Both he and Del bring an incredibly strong portfolio and track record in this space and fit harmoniously with our existing catalogue of world-class adventure entertainment brands.

     

    Further bolstering our strong expertise in the adventure field, and instantly building our audiences worldwide, The Natural Studios was the perfect fit for us and supports our organic growth strategy internationally. Already open for business, we are confident the new label has a strong path ahead and we look forward to collaborating on building an even bigger following for their brands across the globe.”

     

    The deal was brokered by ACF Investment Bank, as advisors to Grylls and Shoopman.