The merged American operation now has a leader, and it is the person who previously held the position. Ben Samek has been appointed CEO of the combined entity across the Americas, which came into being following the merger between Banijay Entertainment and All3Media. He will be answering to Banijay Entertainment deputy chief executive officer Jane Turton.
Samek keeps his other roles while taking on this new one, serving as both a board member and consultant to the group. At the same time, Laurens Drillich steps into the CEO role at Banijay Latin America.
Turton praised the pick. “Ben is a hugely experienced leader who has grown and diversified Banijay America, adding a fast-developing live, digital and sport business to its world-class TV production,” she said in a statement. She added that the merger “is an exciting time for us to invest for growth.”
The New Structure
The production services business previously held within All3Media America is being brought into Banijay America. Justin Medeiros and Jacob Cohen-Holmes, who managed that comparable operation, will run the new arrangement — with Medeiros serving as exec VP of production and Cohen-Holmes holding the position of head of current programming.
The merged production services unit will provide support and studio services for Banijay Entertainment producers around the globe, including Studio Lambert (“The Circle,” “Undercover Boss,” “The Mob”).
What Samek Has Built So Far
Samek has served as CEO of Banijay Americas since February 2023; before that, he had been president and chief operating officer of Banijay Americas since 2018. His record includes expanding “Somebody Feed Phil” from Netflix into a broader deal at YouTube, and building out immersive experiences that take IP into another realm.
Among his most recent achievements is expanding “Somebody Feed Phil”, which originated at Netflix, into a larger arrangement at YouTube, along with developing immersive experiences that push intellectual property into a separate realm. The major Banijay Americas franchises he oversees include “Big Brother,” “MasterChef,” “MasterChef Junior,” “Below Deck,” “Summer House,” “The Challenge,” “Deal or No Deal Island,” “Fear Factor: House of Fear”, and “Lego Masters.”. Since the All3Media acquisition, his portfolio has grown to encompass franchises such as Studio Lambert’s “The Traitors.”.
“Bringing them together gives us greater scale and expanded capabilities in the U.S. market.”
The next slate of work includes two Netflix projects, with one called “Simon Says,” and another called “Predator vs. Prey with Alan Ritchson”, alongside a new season of “Somebody Feed Phil” for YouTube, along with “Arizona Hot”.
The Partners Behind the Merger
This year, RedBird IMI and Banijay Group combined Banijay Entertainment with All3Media through a partnership. The board’s chairman is RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker, while Marco Bassetti serves as CEO alongside Turton.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| CEO of Banijay America | Ben Samek |
| Deputy Chief Executive Officer | Jane Turton |
| CEO of Banijay Latin America | Laurens Drillich |
| Exec VP of Production | Justin Medeiros |
| Head of Current Programming | Jacob Cohen-Holmes |
The deal brings together talent and IP into one platform across the Americas. Samek holds a position that reaches across three continents and connects two joined structures, a heavy workload for any one individual. Now the combined business operates with a single production services operation that works for producers worldwide.
Years of building Banijay Americas into a sprawling operation have prepared Samek for this moment, and the merger hands him a larger canvas on which to paint. The task before him is not to remake either business, but to ensure that the two work together as smoothly as each did on its own.
Source material: “Banijay America Confirms Ben Samek as CEO, Post-Merger With All3Media,” Variety.
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