Cathy Payneknows the distribution market as well as any exec in the international business.
She headed up Southern Star International, which was bought by Endemol in 2009.
It merged with Shine in 2015 before Banijay acquired Endemol Shine in 2020.
Maigret, Masterchef, and Peaky Blinders (inset) Cathy PayneBanijay/BBC/Courtesy
Ive always worked in companies where production and distribution were integrated.
Banijay Rights response to the industry change?
Its been a very challenging market.
Damien Molony as Jim BergeracBanijay/UKTV
The UK especially is feeling the pinch.
Many projects are in limbo; they have been commissioned but cannot square off their funding.
Payne acknowledges its tough out there but spies some green shoots.
The question, she says, becomes how to make shows with the money that is available.
Its about how do you find a different production model.
Not every show has to cost a fortune to be successful.
I was really pleased to see a show likeBaby Reindeer, putting aside any controversy.
It wasnt expensive, it was just a really good show.
It spoke to the audience.
We just have to find a way to make things work because we cant complain about what we had.
The market is what it is.
Paynes team will take it to market.
I dont think were going to wake up and find its 2021 again.
I really like content; I like to read it and Im very passionate about it.
I also like the sales process, and the sales process is sophisticated and creative.
Distribution cant invest to fill the gaps and then lose money.
Scripted Gloom, Unscripted Boom?
But that part of the business is facing its own tests.
Weve got someMasterChefdeals where weve never sold it before, there are still new markets being broken.
Payne says the Discovery channels are ordering less, which is an issue.
A lot of that commissioning has just stopped.
Its been very difficult for some of those producers.
Theyre really reliant on royalties from catalog deals to help them sustain.
In distribution, its either the big or the boutique, but the middle is expensive.
If youre boutique, you’re free to have really low overheads.
Having an enormous library also opens up direct-to-consumer opportunities for distributors, such as rolling out FAST channels.
Its an area Banijay Rights has been moving into.
The most attention-grabbing launch has been aMr Bean: The Animated Serieschannel.
The London Look
Banijay was one of the quartet of distribs behind London TV Screenings.
For Payne, the February get-together with buyers is more than a trade market.
She adds: People come and sit and take time.
Like the LA screenings, youre actually watching shows.
Signing off, Payne boss reflects on her roles atop the distribution biz and running Banijay Rights.
