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: Fabian Tobias

  1. EndemolShine Germany’s Brand-Funded Big Brother Spin-Off Hits 8.81 Million Live Views

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces its all-new Big Brother spin-off in Germany, Big Brother – Knossi Edition hit 8.81 million live views during the 57-hour live stream on Twitch. With more than 2 million unique viewers, the series topped 283 million watched minutes.

    Big Brother – Knossi Edition marked the format’s first venture into branded entertainment, and was a collaboration between EndemolShine Germany, Banijay Media Germany, Rainer Laux Productions (an EndemolShine Germany company) and DLS Consulting, the management of Knossi.

    German social media star and entertainer, Jens “Knossi” Knossalla, moved into the Big Brother house alongside content creators Fritz Meinecke, Ann-Kathrin Bendixen aka Affe auf Bike, Marc Eggers and Adam Wolke aka Skyline TV, in a 57-hour live stream format. The series aired live on Knossi’s Twitch channel, with highlight clips also available on the Joyn platform – the streaming app of ProSiebenSat.1 Media, broadcaster of Celebrity Big Brother Germany.

    Selected brand partners for the launch of the innovative format included SIMon Mobile, Denkriesen, kaufDA, Kaufland, Warner Bros., Snocks, Hasbro, Samsung, Gönrgy and Particibrand. The brands were integrated authentically into the format such as when SIMon mobile was shown whilst collecting the housemates’ mobile phones and Kaufland and its products were shown when the creators chose their food.

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director EndemolShine Germany: “Knossi finally got the keys to the Big Brother house… In return, we got the opportunity to work across different platforms and reach new audiences with one of the most famous Twitch personalities in Germany. A producer of Big Brother in Germany, Rainer Laux made it one of the most successful television brands in the country, and his idea to extend the brand in this way was a great opportunity to open up new target groups. Alongside Banijay Media, we have the best partners in this field who implemented our vision together.”

    Moritz Bergmann, Head of Sales & Brand Partnerships Banijay Media Germany: “We staged Big Brother in a new, digital way and integrated selected brand partners natively into the content. Through the active and playful placements, the wide-reaching creators acted as vehicles for the brands’ messages and transported them into the digital community. Thanks go to EndemolShine Germany, Knossi and our brand partners!”

    Rainer Laux, Managing Director Rainer Laux Productions and Executive Director EndemolShine Germany: “It was a great to see how successfully our Big Brother performs, not only as a television format, but also as a purely digital format on Twitch and Joyn. This spin-off was adapted to the young target audience and thus shows the versatility of the brand.”

    To date, Banijay format Big Brother has had 68 adaptations, broadcast across 72 countries, with over 550 seasons and 36,000 episodes. 2022 marked the most successful year ever global with 33 productions airing across 26 markets.

    Last month, Banijay confirmed its ambitions to further expand its brand funded portfolio, with the unveiling of Banijay Branded Entertainment (BBE). A new division within the group, BBE is overseen by Head of Branded Entertainment Business Development, Carlotta Rossi Spencer, and will leverage Banijay’s expansive global production expertise to further evolve the group’s global efforts in the branded content space.

  2. Banijay Appoints Małgorzata Perkowska-Czaja as MD, Endemol Shine Poland

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    Banijay today confirms new leadership for its Warsaw-based outfit, Endemol Shine Poland, appointing Małgorzata (Gosia) Perkowska-Czaja as Managing Director. A leading local executive, she will be tasked with evolving the business’ slate, diversifying its offering to identify new revenue streams, and strengthening and innovating its commercial strategy to futureproof and bolster growth. In line with the hire, the label will now fall under the Banijay Germany group umbrella, with the role reporting to Endemol Shine Germany’s MD, Fabian Tobias.

    Endemol Shine Poland alumni Perkowska-Czaja joins from Rochstar, where she has spent a year as MD, responsible for devising and executing the label’s market and sales strategies to ensure a broadening of its client base. She also led on deal negotiations, format and film development, as well as commercial diversification and expansion. Previously, she spent seven years at Endemol Shine Poland, leaving as director of non-scripted sales. Here she oversaw the company’s slate of hit entertainment formats and super brand executions including MasterChef and its spin-offs and Big Brother for TVN; All Together Now and Family Food Fight for POLSAT; The Wall (and international hub) and Don’t Forget the Lyrics! for TVP; and Fort Boyard for Viaplay, as well as branded content and commercial deals for a number of its titles.

    Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer, Banijay comments: “A formidable leader, Gosia joins Endemol Shine Poland with an impressive track record in the local and international content space. With a breadth of experience spanning production and commercial strategy, complimentary values, and familiarity with Banijay and the company’s local team, she is very well-equipped to fulfil our ambitions in the Polish market, and I am sure under her stewardship we will see the label and its slate thrive.”

    Małgorzata Perkowska-Czaja comments: “Endemol Shine Poland has built a reputation for high-quality entertainment, and re-joining the business as MD, I am looking forward to exploring new opportunities to diversify the slate and build on its performance in all genres. While the market is challenging right now, I have no doubt that via innovation and creativity, we can capitalize on new technologies and avenues for growth, cementing the company as the region’s number one and go-to for clients.”

    In addition to her most recent roles, Perkowska-Czaja served for seven years as Head of Development and Sales, and producer for Golden Media/Mastiff Media Poland, having spent between 2004 and 2008 as production manager at Endemol Poland/Endemol Netherland – her first stint at the company. A varied career spanning leading global brands, she has also held a number of freelance positions, as well as posts for Reuters, VRT, CNBC and TVP. In addition to her professional credentials, she occasionally lectures at the National Film School in Łódź.

    The news follows Ryszard Sibilski’s decision to step down from the business.

  3. Europe Saves The Date for Banijay’s New Relationship Show

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    Content powerhouse, Banijay, today announces EndemolShine Germany, part of Banijay Germany, will produce Save The Date for VOX. Originally created by Endemol Shine Israel, and first produced by Endemol Shine Finland, this is the third iteration of the new dating and relationship format, following the successful launch by Shine Iberia in Portugal earlier this month.

    In this extraordinary social experiment, singles tired of the dating world, gain total control of their love lives by setting a wedding date, before they have even begun dating a partner. Each single has a short time to find their perfect match and plan the wedding. How they embark on the mission is up to them; will they choose frantic speed dating, or invest their precious time in one suitor? Only time will tell if this deadline will help these singles find the one.

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director EndemolShine Germany adds: “Save The Date perfectly meets the German audiences desire for relationship shows. It is full of heart, and extremely relevant for current audiences, as there is a lot of pressure to find ‘the one’ and online dating has changed the landscape for ever.”

    Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay says: “Save The Date taps into the ticking-time-bomb that for many people is the burning question of rushing into marriage. This creates brilliant drama as its protagonists race towards their big day, forced into the ultimate time-management dilemma. Part social experiment, part reality, part wedding blockbuster, anyone can connect with this hot new format. Born out of creative collaboration between Endemol Shine Israel and Endemol Shine Finland it’s great to see it entering its third European market.”

    Originally created by Endemol Shine Israel and first produced by Endemol Shine Finland for Nelonen. Save The Date recently aired in Portugal on TVI, produced by Shine Iberia, where it had stellar ratings with the series premiere the number one programme in its slot.

    EndemolShine Germany is a leading production and entertainment company in Germany and is behind some of the nation’s best-loved non-scripted shows, with titles such as Big Brother VIP, Kitchen Impossible, Limitless Win, as well as The Masked Singer Germany, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Germany.

  4. EndemolShine Germany Partners with Tim Mälzer on Potatohead Pictures

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    Content powerhouse Banijay today confirms EndemolShine Germany and Tim Mälzer (television chef, restaurateur, and presenter) have come together to found Potatohead Pictures. Led by EndemolShine Germany’s MD, Fabian Tobias, and Executive Director Sven Steffensmeier, the label will focus on developing new culinary formats.

    EndemolShine Germany and Mälzer have worked together for eight years creating hit cooking formats such as Kitchen Impossible, and Chefs to Go (Mälzer and Henssler Deliver!), which has also been adapted in France. Elsewhere, Steffensmeier is behind popular shows Knife Fight Club, Ready to Beef and Kühlschrank öffne dich!. The company will build on their expertise within the culinary genre, and encourage innovative thinking in order to cook up the formats of tomorrow.

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director EndemolShine Germany: “The award-winning success story of Kitchen Impossible is also due to the interplay between Sven and Tim, which sparks creativity time and time again. I am therefore very much looking forward to the new company and the even more intensive partnership with Tim Mälzer.”

    Tim Mälzer: “The collaboration with Sven had a special quality right from the start: creative, innovative and – this is what I particularly like – highly implementation-oriented. It is with this positive gut feeling that I am now entering the joint venture and I look forward to working even more closely together, developing formats, and of course, discovering new talent. I’m also excited about my role behind the camera! “

    Sven Steffensmeier, Executive Director at EndemolShine Germany: “We have been playing with the idea of founding a company for a long time. We will build on our successful formats, the now huge network of chefs, and the fun and creative atmosphere we have when working together to become the go-to company for food content in the German-speaking world. However, we don’t want to limit ourselves completely to one genre and also want to develop formats beyond the topic of food with Tim.”

    Potatohead Pictures is a subsidiary of EndemolShine Germany. Fabian Tobias and Sven Steffensmeier are the managing directors.

  5. EndemolShine Germany Highlights Low Literacy Levels with Banijay’s The Write Offs

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    Banijay, the content powerhouse, today announces that EndemolShine Germany, part of Banijay Germany, will adapt The Write Offs for ZDF. The format created by Banijay UK’s Shine TV will be known locally as Lost for Words (w/t) and presented by Sabine Heinrich.

    The Write Offs gives a group of adults the incredible opportunity to change their lives and address the one thing that may be holding them back. Can you imagine not being able to navigate public transport or read a text? For many, this is a reality, as globally a large proportion of people struggle with the basic literacy skills necessary for everyday situations. In this empowering format, adults receive one-to-one tuition and embark on an eye-opening journey as they face tasks that encourage them to go outside of their comfort zones. The series concludes with a heart-warming and dramatic performance for their loved ones.

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director at EndemolShine Germany says: “The Write Offs shines a light on an issue that affects 6 million people in Germany and up to now rarely discussed. Just as in the UK, Denmark, and Australia, we hope this new series will provide uplifting and relevant content whilst also inspiring those who do struggle with their literacy.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay says: “The Write Offsresonates worldwide, because shockingly-low literacy rates are not exclusive to one country. This is a daily reality for many people globally, and the show raises awareness and starts discussions among the wider public. It is powerful, empowering, stigma-reducing, and we’re looking forward to seeing where it goes next.”

    Originally created by Shine TV for UK broadcaster Channel 4, this commission marks the fourth adaptation of the factual series with The Write Offs having travelled to Denmark and Australia where a second series recently aired on SBS. Described in the UK as ‘a heart-warming, inspiring and education watch’, by Stylist UK and in Australia as ‘an unexpectedly joyous documentary series’, by The Saturday Paper Australia, the show has received international acclaim. In addition, the show had a positive social impact – a study from SBS found that 94% of Australians felt more aware of adult literacy following series one, and 91% said it gave hope to Australians with lower literacy.

    EndemolShine Germany is a leading production and entertainment company in Germany and is behind some of the nation’s best-loved non-scripted shows, with titles such as Big Brother VIP, Kitchen Impossible, Limitless Win, The Masked Singer, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

  6. Limitless Win Heads to RTL Germany for First Adaptation

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    Banijay today announces that Endemol Shine Germany, part of Banijay Germany, will produce Limitless Win (Ohne Limit) for RTL Germany. Created by Hello Dolly and co-developed and co-produced by Mitre Studios and Hello Dolly in the UK, this marks the first international adaptation of the format which has already been commissioned for a second run on ITV, hosted by Ant and Dec.

    Limitless Win is a ground-breaking game show, with 6.2 million viewers tuning in to the series in the UK. With a never-ending money ladder, it’s the world’s first-ever limitless jackpot. Pairs of contestants first earn lives with a series of quick-fire questions, before taking on the limitless ladder. The answer to every question is a number, but there is no room for error, only the correct answer banks cash. Underestimating the answer loses them lives, and if they overshoot, they are  eliminated. In this nail-biting game of high stakes, the contestant double-acts have the chance to walk away with a life-changing sum of money.

    Endemol Shine Germany is a leading production company within its market, producing hit formats such as LEGO® Masters, Celebrity Hunted, Celebrity Big Brother, and All Together Now, as well as its own devised IP such as Masters of Sweet and Chefs to Go.

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director of Endemol Shine Germany says: “Limitless Win is the perfect addition to our slate as it is original, creative and entertaining. With the world’s first-ever limitless jackpot, there is such a lot at stake for the contestants and audiences will be on the edge of their seats!”

    Hello Dolly’s Chief Executive, Victoria Ashbourne, said: “As we prepare for the next series of Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win with Mitre Studios, the news of the format being brought to German audiences is hugely exciting. We look forward to seeing how far German Contestants can climb up the limitless ladder.”

    Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Founders of Mitre Studios, said: “We’re thrilled to hear that Limitless Win is heading to Germany. It’s innovative, ground-breaking, nail-biting and fantastically play along. We love making the show and we are sure it will be as popular with the German audience as it is here in the UK.”

    Banijay also holds the international global distribution rights for Limitless Win.

    “Limitless Win is such a unique, nail-biting and entertaining watch for all the family, and as well as the RTL Germany format celebration, we look forward to bringing the excitement to even more markets,” adds Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay.

  7. 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.”

  8. It’s All About The Pâtissiers in Endemol Shine Germany’s Masters of Sweet

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    Endemol Shine Germany, a Banijay company, today announces it will produce Masters of Sweet for RTL. The brand-new 4 x 90’ competition series will air in the country later this year.

     

    Having dedicated their lives to creating showstopping sculptures made from sugar, cake, ice-cream, and chocolate, six of the best professional pâtissier teams will compete to create the perfect edible dream. They may be known locally for their amazing creations, but on each episode of Masters of Sweet, they will face a new challenge, from gigantic replicas, which can sometimes be over 1.5 metres high, to spectacular fashion creations. The pressure is on as amidst the creativity and impressive skill, the judges must select a team to send home at the end of each episode. The winning team will not only walk away with the title but also a sum of 25,000 euros.

     

    Fabian Tobias, CEO at Endemol Shine Germany comments: “From the Black Forest Gateau to wine gums, it is fair to say many who live in Germany have a sweet tooth. We are looking forward to showcasing the skill of our pâtissiers with this brand-new format, whilst enjoying their creations and hopefully we can inspire some amateurs at home.”

     

    James Townley, Global Head of Content Development at Banijay says: “Adding to Banijay Germany’s impressive slate, Masters of Sweet perfectly combines creativity, delicious food, craftmanship and competition. This new format taps into the global demand we are seeing for expertise-based competition formats that appeal to the whole family, joining MasterChef, LEGO® Masters, Domino Challenge, Interior Design Masters and Banijay Productions Germany’s Cream of the Crop (Allererste Sahne), which is set to return for a second series.”

     

    A leading TV production company, Endemol Shine Germany has recently launched the third season of LEGO®Masters on RTL and will bring the fifth season of The Masked Singer to German audiences later this year. Other key titles include Big Brother, Beauty and the Nerd, and Kitchen Impossible.

     

    Banijay Rights will distribute Masters of Sweet internationally.

  9. Endemol Shine Germany Unites Couples in Virtual Relationships

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    Banijay today confirms Endemol Shine Germany, part of Banijay Germany, will produce the local adaptation of Love IRL for VOX. This reality-based documentary will bring together couples who have met online, but for whatever reason, not in person.

     

    Love IRL helps kickstart unique love stories. Following people who are emotionally invested with someone they have only ever met virtually, whether via social media, a chat room or online dating site, Love IRL will see them finally meet face-to-face in an extraordinary location. Once together these soulmate seekers must decide if there is a romantic spark, and most crucially, if they would like to spend more time together.

     

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director of Endemol Shine Germany comments: “This format provides an in-depth examination of virtual dating. Meeting online may be becoming the norm, but can you really connect with someone if you never meet? Each couple has their own story and reasoning for only interacting online so bringing them together creates beautiful, moving and heart-warming, once-in-a-lifetime introductions.”

     

    Banijay has secured the format rights for the show in a number of markets including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and Flanders in Belgium. Originally created by Studio 89 Productions, and distributed by M6 Formats (both M6 Group companies) Et si on se rencontrait? (Love IRL) has been confirmed for a second run in France.

     

    Leading TV Production company Endemol Shine Germany has enjoyed significant success in multiple genres. From hit reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Hunted to culinary competition Kitchen Impossible.

  10. Banijay Finalises Structure in Germany

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    Banijay today confirms Marcus Wolter will lead its German operations following the recent acquisition of Endemol Shine Group. As Banijay Germany’s CEO and Co-Partner, he will oversee the country’s portfolio of companies which include Brainpool, for which he also acts as MD, Banijay Productions, Good Times, Endemol Shine Germany, MadeFor, Raab TV, Lucky Pics and MTS Künstler Management among others.

     

    Representing the group’s ethos of “storymaking set free”, Banijay Germany is a leading collective of independent entertainment producers and creative entrepreneurs. Investing in innovative and fresh content that is born locally and travels globally, the business is behind some of the country’s best-loved productions including Masked Singer (ProSieben), Schlag den Star (Beat the Star) (ProSieben), Wer wird Millionär? (Who Wants to be a Millionaire) (RTL), Tatort Weimar und Tatort Dresden (Das Erste), Temptation Island (TVNow / RTL), Promi Big Brother (Celebrity Big Brother) (Sat.1), Promis unter Palmen (Sat.1), Kitchen Impossible (VOX), Luke! Die Greatnightshow (Sat.1) and Free European Song Contest (ProSieben).

     

    Wolter joined the business back in 2018 from Endemol Shine Germany, where he was CEO, and Chairman Northern Europe for Endemol Shine Group.

     

    The country’s newly finalised structure also sees Fabian Tobias, currently Managing Director of Brainpool’s Show and Factual Division, take up the role of Managing Director for Endemol Shine Germany. He will be joined by Ute März, who has been appointed co-CEO of the entity, having served as Chief Finance Officer since 2002. The leaders of Banijay Germany’s other entities remain unchanged.

     

    Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer at Banijay comments: “In Marcus we have an exceptionally strong and strategic leader. Familiar with both sides of the footprint, he is well-placed to oversee the country’s seamless integration, while driving efficient and effective businesses for the future. Having already proven their strength in generating new IP alongside the production of key group-owned IP, his network of companies, along with the new additions, provide an incredibly diverse offering for clients and audiences alike.”

     

    Marcus Wolter, CEO and co-partner Banijay Germany comments:“Banijay Germany prides itself on developing, creating and producing some of the country’s best brands. By bringing together this excellent collective of first-class producers, partners, artists and colleagues, we are building a home for the best creative talent to devise the next generation of entertainment for all platforms. Our business was built on independence, creative freedom and creative entrepreneurialism and I am dedicated to working with our new team to see this live on.”

     

    Magnus Kastner, who has served as CEO at Endemol Shine Germany since 2018, will step down from his role.