Production giant Banijay is reportedly mulling an acquisition of ITV or its studio arm.
According to The Financial Times (FT), Banijay has entered early-stage talks to buy the UK broadcaster. A deal would either be an outright takeover or just an offer for its production business, ITV Studios, which makes shows such as Love Island, Rivals, Fool Me Once and Mr Bates Vs the Post Office.
Should the deal materialise as a full takeover, the FT reports that Banijay would need to bring in third-party investors.
The FT reported that Banijay has held talks with CVC, the private equity group, about financing a potential deal.
Banijay Group, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit, produces programmes such as Peaky Blinders and Big Brother.
There has been ongoing speculation about the possible sale of ITV Studios. Shares in ITV have risen by about 10% this year amid talk about a possible deal. Some City analysts have argued the studios business could be worth more than all of ITV’s current £3bn market value.
Banijay rival All3Media has been closely linked with ITV after reports this year suggested they had explored merging their production assets.
The FT said that Banijay’s discussions with ITV are at a very early stage with no guarantee that they will progress to any deal.
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
BFI to invest £11.85m in UK skills funding
The British Film Institute (BFI) has pledged £11.85m funding over three years to support skills development and training across the UK.
Telxius selects Synamedia Quortex Switch
Telxius has integrated its carrier-grade content delivery network (CDN) with Synamedia’s Quortex Switch platform, which the companies say enables content providers to dynamically switch between CDNs in real time for the first time.
Knowledge Network selects ThinkAnalytics
Knowledge Network, British Columbia’s public educational broadcaster and streaming service, has gone live with ThinkMediaAI to give viewers a personalised TV experience underpinned by intelligent search and content recommendations.
Netflix launches first daily live show The Breakfast Club
Netflix will stream US morning radio show The Breakfast Club daily on its platform from 1 June 2026, marking the streamer’s first daily live programme.
ITV launches Live Addressable+ with Omnicom
ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, has officially launched its live broadcast addressable advertising product, Live Addressable+, with an exclusive beta trial in partnership with Omnicom Media Group.
Registered users only: Login
