EXCLUSIVE: Following the merger of Banijay Entertainment and All3Media, which created an $8B production group that is responsible for series such as Big Brother, The Traitors and Peaky Blinders, the company highlighted the U.S. as one of its biggest opportunities to grow.

That growth will be led by Banijay Americas CEO Ben Samek, Deadline understands.

Deadline understands that he will lead the company following the mega-deal. We hear the paperwork hasn’t been signed, but that’s more of a matter of procedure, not helped by it being summer in Europe.

The move is not a huge surprise given that Samek has been running the group that produces CBS’ Big Brother, NBC’s Deal or No Deal Island, Fox’s Fear Factor: House of Fear and MasterChef as well as a plethora of Bravo titles including Below Deck and Summer House since February 2023.

All3Media, which has a federal system of production companies, did not have much of a centralized operation in the U.S. and largely left its stable of production companies, such as The Traitors producer Studio Lambert, to develop and produce shows in the States.

After the merger, Jeff Zucker, who is Chairman of the Board of the newly combined group, which brought together RedBird IMI’s assets, told Deadline, “It’s clear that the U.S. will be one of our opportunities going forward. There is greater opportunity across not just production, but live events and experiences, the digital strength of our company also gives us a great opportunity in the U.S. That’s something we will look to build out.”

Samek’s challenge now is to build an infrastructure in the States that can support the assorted production companies and speak with the various teams, particularly the creative operations. His job is slightly more straightforward than the one in the UK, which is expected to be led by Patrick Holland, where there are more production labels and a bigger mix between scripted and unscripted.

Samek joined Endemol USA in 2014 as COO and transitioned to COO of Endemol Shine North America in 2015. Promoted to President and COO for Endemol Shine North America in January 2018, Samek then expanded his areas of oversight to include the Banijay companies in the U.S. and Latin America when Banijay acquired Endemol Shine Group in 2020. Previously, he held the role of COO at 51 Minds Entertainment.

Banijay Americas encompasses Bunim-Murray Productions, which produces Paramount+’s The Challenge and Alan Ritchson’s upcoming survival series for Netflix, Endemol Shine North America, which makes MasterChef, Deal or No Deal Island, Fear Factor and Lego Masters, Truly Original, which is behind Summer House, In The City and Next Gen NYC, 51 Minds Entertainment, which is behind Below Deck and its multiple spinoffs, and multiple companies focused on the Mexican, U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets.

All3Media, on the other hand, operates a number of businesses focused on the U.S. Studio Lambert, largely based in London, is its most successful producer in the U.S. with series such as Peacock’s The Traitors, Netflix’s upcoming take on Monopoly and Squid Game: The Challenge and Hulu’s reboot of The Circle.

Jack Burgess leads the company in the U.S. and it has also partnered with a number of nascent producers to develop more shows in the States including Inner Drive Entertainment, founded by Jon Barinholtz and Rob Belushi and MindMeld Entertainment, founded by Jill Goslicky and Vivian Choi.

Earlier this year, All3Media also struck a deal with documentary producer Barnicle Brothers. That company sat under All3Media America, which over the years has been run by the likes of former ICM Partner Greg Lipstone, IPC founder Eli Holzman, who just left Sony Pictures Television, and former Nat Geo exec Tim Pastore. It hasn’t had a leader since Pastore left in 2020.

It also closed Maverick Television, which produced series such as USA Network’s Chrisley Knows Best, in 2024. Objective Media Group America, which is behind series such as TBS’ The Cube, CBS’ Lingo and HBO Max’s 12 Dates of Christmas, also lost President Jilly Pearce last year when she joined Disney.

But the company does have some digital chops in the U.S., having promoted Ben Arnold and Charles Wideska to lead Little Dot Studios US earlier this year.

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