From where we started to where we are today, we are the biggest European producer in scripted.
We are happy about what we have done.
If you look at where we stand with our unscripted business, we are pretty big in many countries.
Clockwise Top L-R: ‘The Buccaneers,’ ‘Culpa Mia,’ ‘Peaky Blinders,’ ' Culpa Tuya' (inset) Marco BassettiApple+/Amazon MGM/BBC/Banijay Group
I think that we have opportunity to grow more in scripted.
Australia is also becoming a big market for us.
We produceNCIS Sydney[through Endemol Shine Australia] and CBS is very happy.
Andrew Scott in Netflix’s ‘Ripley’Netflix
Italy is becoming a big market for us and Spain as well.
So far, we have not entered the U.S. [scripted] market, he says.
Its not a cost-plus model.
You have to take a huge risk on the series that you are producing.
Big Hollywood studios can take that risk, because of the huge amount of money coming from their libraries.
To be a European company, to go and compete in the U.S. scripted market, is very difficult.
Total revenue from the content business was up +0.5% to 3.3BN in Banijays 2024 financial year.
It also, however, acknowledged there are industry headwinds.
How does Bassetti plan to drive Banijays drama revenues over the billion Euro threshold in the next financial year?
Dramatic Trends
The evolution of the drama business favors the big players who can cover costs and keep rights.
Fundamentally, the change to the business can summarized thusly: Drama has gotten very expensive.
In that environment, the pubcasters and commercial channels are feeling the pinch.
A big commercial channel in Europe cant always afford 1.5M an episode, he says.
They can maybe afford 1M or 800,000.
People need to to take some risks and find money, whether thats through distribution, pre-selling or co-production.
Today, its one of the big topics in the scripted business.
Streamer Deals
Over 20% of Banijays TV revenue comes from deals with streaming platforms.
Projects for Prime Video include the popularCulpablesmovies.
He continues: That will pretty much be the future as well.
On one side, it means they can spend less and still have great shows.
Groenlandia, also in Italy, produced films last year includingInvestigation into a Love StoryandThe Empire.
Bassetti is not, however, hankering for a moment on the red carpet at Cannes or Venice.
Getting scores of movies into theaters is not a key ambition.
Streaming films might be a different matter.
Live Action
Bassetti is also CEO of Banijay Live, a recently minted unit for live events.
We created Banijay Live to create experience around our brands, Bassetti says.
Now, we do aBlack Mirrorexperience.
Maybe we would do aPeaky Blindersexperience in the future.
Elsewhere, James Norton will be on stage to talk about his Banijay-backed prodco Rabbit Track Pictures.
There will be more risk required, but there is also more opportunity for us.
You have more opportunity to de-risk your investments.
Put simply, in drama, size matters.
Exactly, Bassetti says, its about scale.
