Headlines
France's Banijay looks to step up M&A drive amid interest in ITV
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Banijay plans transformative acquisitions to expand in Europe, including potential ITV merger. Shares rose 2.7% following the announcement.
(Reuters) -French media group Banijay said on Friday it would pursue "transformative" acquisitions as part of its plans to scale up and win more market share in Europe's entertainment sector.
Banijay, whose largest shareholders include the Arnault family, asset manager Tikehau Capital and Vivendi, is in early talks about a combination with Britain's ITV, two sources told Reuters in April.
The company has explored an offer for ITV production studios or a full takeover of the British broadcaster, the latter which would require further capital from a third party.
"We intend to scale further by aligning with major industry shifts," Banijay CEO Francois Riahi said in a statement.
"This will be supported by both transformative acquisitions and targeted bolt-ons, expanding our presence in high-growth segments and new geographies," he added.
The French TV production group behind "Big Brother" and cooking show "Masterchef" is due to hold a capital markets day event in Paris later on Friday.
Banijay's shares were up 2.7% at 9.7 euros by 0724 GMT - adding to an 11% gain so far this year - after it also said it targets annual revenue of 7 billion euros ($7.85 billion) in 2028, with 1.2 billion in core profit.
Annual revenue in 2024 stood at 4.80 billion euros.
($1 = 0.8918 euros)
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Susan Fenton)
The main topic is Banijay's plan for transformative acquisitions, including potential interest in ITV, to expand its market share in Europe's entertainment sector.
Banijay targets annual revenue of 7 billion euros by 2028, with significant growth through acquisitions.
Banijay's major shareholders include the Arnault family, Tikehau Capital, and Vivendi.
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