International: Banijay has established Banijay Brands, a division dedicated to all areas of commercial activity.
Led by newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer Owain Walbyoff, Banijay Brands will encompass brand licensing, merchandising, gaming, gambling and music. The unit will represent a portfolio that covers entertainment, scripted, animation, game shows and kids, to explore commercial opportunities.
Jane Smith, group director of brand licensing, will lead the licensing area. She will also work with the network of teams in local markets to further expand the business. Smith joined Endemol Shine in 2018, where she has substantially driven the growth of properties such as MasterChef, Peaky Blinders and Simon’s Cat within licensing and merchandising.
The Banijay Brands portfolio includes MasterChef, Temptation Island, Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, The Inbetweeners, Big Brother, Mister Maker, Operation Triunfo, Eat Well for Less, Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, Don’t, Sunday Brunch, Tipping Point, The Biggest Loser, Ready Steady Cook, Black Mirror, Miss France, Maddie’s Do You Know?, Wipeout and Crystal Maze.
Walbyoff said: “Without a doubt, we are a market leader in this space, and I look forward to seeing how we bolster the IP even further. Jane is a highly-experienced, strategic executive with vast industry knowledge, and with some of the world’s biggest brands in our portfolio, the possibilities are endless.”
Smith, group director of brand licensing at Banijay Brands, commented: “Banijay Brands represents an incredibly compelling catalog of globally renowned, cross-genre brands, which we will be bringing to the Festival of Licensing. By partnering with the very best licensees in the business, we aim to create innovative and impressive products that our audiences and fans will love.”
