Banijay and Fremantle, two of Europe’s largest production and distribution groups, have both posted strong financial year-end revenues.
Banijay’s revenues rose 16.5% in 2022 to hit €3.2bn, while its adjusted EBITDA rose 9% to €472m in 2022.
The figures were contained in the year-end earnings posted by Banijay’s parent company FL Entertainment, which listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange last year.
FL Entertainment’s total revenue stood at €4bn, a 15.7% increase on 2021, with EBITDA climbing 10% to €670m. Banijay’s €3.2bn accounted for the majority of this revenue. FL Entertainment’s other holdings include French online gambling outfit BetClic Everest.
Banijay is the world’s largest independent TV producer, having acquired Endemol Shine Group in 2020.
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Headquartered in Paris, Banijay’s scripted hits include France’s Marie-Antoinette and the UK’s SAS Rogue Heroes and Grantchester and non-scripted titles like the UK’s Starstruck and Australia’s Love Triangle.
The company invested in 15 company in 2022, adding firms such Australia’s Beyond International, the UK’s Kindle Entertainment and Germany’s Sony Pictures Film to its portfolio.
Meanwhile, Fremantle revenues grew by 22% to €2.35bn in 2022, according to financial results published by its parent company RTL Group. Fremantle’s EBITDA stood at €162m in 2022.
Fremantle completed eight production company transactions during 2022: Lux Vide, Dancing Ledge, Element Pictures, Eureka, 72 Films, Wildstar Films and Silvio Productions.
It also delivered over 100 scripted productions including high-end-series, daily dramas and films in 2022. Fremantle shows include The Mosquito Coast for Apple TV+ through to America’s Got Talent, Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne and quiz show Password.
RTL said Fremantle is on track to meet its target of becoming a €3bn company by 2025.
RTL itself reported record revenues of €7.2bn for the 2022 financial year. RTL’s adjusted EBITDA was down by 6% to €1.1bn. RTL said this was due to higher streaming start-up losses and lower TV advertising revenue at RTL Deutschland, and the scope exits of RTL Belgium, and Groupe M6. These effects were partly offset by record adjusted EBITDA contributions from RTL Nederland and Fremantle.
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