Tag Archive: Fabrizio Ievolella

  1. Banijay Italy Strengthens Commercial and Digital with New Senior Appointment

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    Banijay today announces Banijay Italy has appointed Vincenzo Piscopo as Chief Commercial & Digital Officer. Within his role, Piscopo will explore new opportunities within the world of digital content and coordinate the commercial and digital activity across the Italian labels.

    A leading talent in the market, Piscopo has worked within the digital sector for over a decade, and joins Banijay Italy from Ciaopeople. There since 2011, he served in numerous senior roles, overseeing branded video content and originals for Fanpage.it, The Jackal Geopop, Cookist and Ohga. This was in addition to his work as Director of The Jackal and Ciapeople Studios, which he successfully launched in 2010. In 2021, he became a member of the board of directors of OBE Osservatorio Branded Entertainment, and Vice President of the Union of Digital Publishers and Creators in Anica, of which he is a promoter.

    Paolo Bassetti, President and Country Manager of Banijay Italy says:With Vincenzo’s extensive experience, full of successes and creativity, we are certain we can give the perfect boost to the important and competitive digital sector.”

    Fabrizio Ievolella, Chief Operating Officer of Banijay Italy comments: “One of Banijay’s most important goals is to ensure that digital activities increasingly become an integral part of our core business. The arrival of Vincenzo will be a fundamental driving force in progressing further in this direction.”

    Vincenzo Piscopo, Chief Commercial & Digital Officer of Banijay Italy adds: “In recent years, the use of content has strongly evolved and continues to do so; social media and all digital assets have become central languages in the user’s viewing experience and brand communication. It’s exciting to be working with all the companies at Banijay Italy to strategically grow in a sector that is so full of opportunity.”

    This follows recent news that Banijay Italy strengthened its business with the move of Fabrizio Ievolella to Chief Operating Officer and Francesco Lauber to Chief Creative Officer, from previous roles in the group. The roles now further support Paolo Bassetti in the strategic, operational, and creative supervision of all the companies in Italy.

    With 11 production companies, the group has an extensive slate from non-scripted hits such as MasterChef, Celebrity Survivor, Big Brother, Celebrity Hunted, and Dinner Club, to scripted titles, The Hanging Sun, The Bride, Ladies’ Paradise, and My Ballerina to name a few.

  2. Banijay Italia Produces First-Ever Wild Things – kids edition

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    Banijay today announces Banijay Italia will produce Wild Things – kids edition exclusively for Boing (Channel 40 of the DTT), a joint venture between RTI Mediaset and Warner Bros Discovery. This adaptation will see children, aged eight to twelve, take the lead in the family entertainment game show. Further access and amazing extra content will also be available on the Boing App this autumn.

    Teamwork is essential on Wild Things as pairs of contestants, a child and an adult family member, head into the forest to complete obstacle courses and imaginative challenges. But this won’t be easy, as the adult will be dressed in a comical woodland creature costume and unable to see anything. To triumph and take home the prize, the children must have communication skills, patience and put trust in their partner, all whilst trying to be the fastest. Will the adult partner be left stumbling around, going in the wrong direction, or will the pair be in-sync and the first to complete the task? The series will be hosted by famous Italian comedians, Andrea Pisani and Luca Peracino, known as The PanPers.

    The original series, Wild Things was created by IWC Media (part of Banijay UK), Mad Monk, and GroupM Entertainment Ltd. This format has been adapted in eight territories including Sweden, Argentina, and China, and has won multiple awards such as a Rose d’Or for TV Game Show and a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Entertainment Programme.

     

    Fabrizio Ievolella, CEO of Banijay Italia says: “Wild Thing – kids edition is a funny physical game show with exciting competitive tasks and hilarious interactions between the pairs. Our adaptation will see, for the first time, children taking the lead and guiding their adult family member. These variations make the format perfect for children’s channel, Boing.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay adds:Wild Things showcases light-hearted competition with great costumes, and it’s fantastic to see its natural evolution for the younger audience. With Banijay Italia’s track record of producing great content, I know this new adaptation will be something the whole family will love.”

    Ana González, VP Kids Channels Southern Europe, Warner Bros. Discovery says: “We are thrilled to launch this funny and wacky original production on Boing featuring much-loved and popular duo, The PanPers.Wild Things – kids edition reaffirms our commitment to European production and to best in class kids and family content. It’s a perfect fit for Boing and we expect our fans to follow with passion and enthusiasm.”

    Banijay Italia has extensive experience working with a range of broadcasters and is home to a rich slate of titles including Celebrity Survivor (L’Isola dei Famosi), Peking Express, and Bake Off Italy. In addition, the company is behind original IP like Celebrity Chef, Dinner Club and The Ferragnez, the last two shows, as recently announced, will return for a second series on Amazon Prime Video.

  3. Banijay Italia Brings Don’t Forget the Lyrics to Italy

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    Banijay today announces Italian label Banijay Italia will produce Don’t Forget the Lyrics for NOVE, FTA channel of Discovery Italia.

    Hosted by Gabriele Corsi, the entertainment show makes its comeback with a twist on the classic format. In this new version, three contestants go head-to-head in the hope of winning an ever-growing jackpot, singing everything from fresh new releases to the best of the 80s, along with a live band. When the music and words stop, will they be able to complete the missing lyric? The two contestants that know the words best will go through to the next round. The ‘duel’ between the remaining two will decide the ‘champion,’ who will try to win the jackpot of €5.000 in the final round. Regardless of the amount of money won, the ‘champion’ will return in the following episode.

    Banijay globally represent the format, which was originally created by FOX USA, and has been adapted in over 25 territories, including new markets such as Portugal in 2021. Produced in France by Banijay Production Media with Nagui as the host, Don’t Forget the Lyrics celebrated its 5000th episode in 2021. The entertainment show will also make its US comeback, produced by Bunim Murray Productions (a Banijay company) and Apploff Entertainment.

    Fabrizio Ievolella, CEO of Banijay Italia says: “With Nove onboard and the new battle concept, we’re ready to see the Italian audience sing along to their favourite songs, in this unique show. Having also worked with Gabriele on Deal with It we know he is the perfect fit to host Don’t Forget the Lyrics, the only music game show on Italian TV.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay adds:Don’t Forget the Lyrics is the epitome of fun, light-hearted viewing. It is great to see this format, which is beloved by many, continuing to evolve with this deal in Italy, as well as the US, and the new adaptation in Portugal.”

    Banijay Italia creates high-quality unique programming and has a rich slate of titles including L’isola dei Famosi (Survivor), L’Eredità (The Legacy) and the recent hit series The Ferragnez: The Series for Amazon Prime Video.

  4. Banijay Italia Scores First International Version of Star in the Star

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    Banijay today confirms Canale 5 has commissioned Banijay Italia to produce a primetime run of Star in the Star. This marks the first international adaptation of the musical guessing show, originally created by Banijay Germany’s Brainpool.

     

    Even celebrities have people they look up to! Hosted in Italy by Ilary Blasi, Star in the Star prepares celebrities to sing and perform just like their idols with coaching, special effects, make-up and styling. Once they have transformed into iconic, well-known musicians, it is up to a comedy panel to work out who the famous faces are. To help them out, cryptic clues are offered throughout the performance and at the end of every show, there is an epic reveal where the least convincing celebrity must peel off their new face and disclose their true identity.

     

    Originally created by Banijay Germany label, Brainpool, Star in the Star first aired on RTL in 2020 and was the #1 programme of the night on the commercial target.

     

    Fabrizio Ievolella, Chief Executive Officer of Banijay Italia says, “Having seen the show’s success in Germany, we are excited to be the first country to adapt this format for local audiences.  We have tailored the show for the Italian audience which we expect will further increase its international appeal.”

     

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations adds, “We see fantastic international potential for Brainpool’s format, and with Banijay Italia’s reputation for delivering high-quality shows like Guess My Age and Chef’s League, its local version of Star in the Star is set to entertain.”

     

    Banijay Italia’s slate boasts hit formats such as Survivor, which recently broke records in Italy with its Celebrity iteration, and award-winning documentary, Ferro, for Amazon Prime. Brainpool is known for entertaining the nation with brands like Free European Song Contest and FameMaker, the latter which increased Pro 7’s total market share amongst 14–49 year-olds by 30%.

  5. Sky Italia and Banijay Italia Ink an Exclusive Deal for Pechino Express

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    Sky Italia and Banijay Italia have inked an exclusive deal for future seasons of Pechino Express (Pekin Express), one of the most popular formats of recent years. Pechino Express Road Trips will land on Sky and NOW TV soon.

     

    Pechino Express revolves around a series of VIP couples as they travel for thousands of kilometres in territories that are both geographically and culturally very distant from the place of origin. In the various stages, the contestants are equipped only with a backpack that contains basic necessities and 1 euro per person, per day, in local currency that they cannot use for transport. They therefore rely mainly on their physical resilience, adaptability, initiative and skills to get by with the few resources available. The journey, during which they face various types of trials and challenges, pushes them to appreciate local traditions and customs, and to discover cultures while learning new habits and gaining the support of the locals they meet on their way.

     

    Pechino Express is a long journey based on initiative and discovery. The winning couple are awarded a prize to be donated to a charity of their choosing in one of the places they visited.

     

    Nicola Maccanico, Executive Vice President Programming Sky Italia, comments:“We are glad to welcome one of the most popular formats to Sky and believe it will further enrich our entertainment slate. The success of Pechino Express– a high-quality show produced by Banijay Italia – is clear in interpreting and relaying the reality of the world and its dynamics, while entertaining families and uniting them in front of the TV. It emphasises the importance of discovery and travel. Pechino Expressbuilds on a wide range of emotions which everyone can relate to: the emotions of the contest and the adrenaline for the competition, the amazement of discovery, the joy of solidarity – with the final prize allocated to support the areas explored during the show – and the strong personal interactions between those that have grown up with different cultures, habits and training. For all these reasons, Pechino Express is an extraordinary show and one which we have decided to invest in. We can’t wait to start working on it, with the creativity and passion for which Sky stands out. There is still a whole world to explore.”

     

    Fabrizio IevolellaCEO Banijay Italia, added:“Pechino Express is a show we love very much and one that has had a very special relationship with its audience since its launch in 2012. Over the years, we have fully devoted our energy and resources to this programme, and we are proud to bring to this platform a format that is at the height of its success, having just had its highest-rating episode to-date. Thanks to this new partnership, we are confident that Pechino Expresswill continue to develop. Sky’s assets and its engagement expertise will allow us to enter a new phase of growth while maintaining the values that have been associated with Pechino, making it the most relevant adventure show on Italian television. It is the start of a new journey for Pechino Express, and, at Banijay Italia, we are very happy to go back on the road with Sky.”

     

    The show is the Italian edition of the Belgian-Dutch original format owned and licensed by 4MAT4.  Since 2012, Magnolia/Banijay Italia has produced eight series of the show. The format has been sold and aired in 16 Countries since 2004.