Banijay Names Steve Matthews Head of Scripted, Creative, Johannes Jensen Business Head

On Monday, Banijay Entertainment, a content powerhouse based in France, announced a new leadership structure for its central scripted division. Steve Matthews was appointed as the head of creative scripted content, while Johannes Jensen took on the role of head of business for scripted content. Both will report to Frédéric Balmary, the chief business officer. Their aim is to collaborate closely to assist and collaborate with Banijay’s flourishing network of more than 60 labels by working together effectively.

So far, Matthews has been the Content Partnerships Executive, while Jensen holds the position of Head of Scripted at Banijay Nordic. Notably, Jensen has also overseen two production labels, Jarowskij and Yellow Bird, which have now merged into one entity called Jarowskij/Yellow Bird. Banijay acknowledges that Jensen has been instrumental in enhancing the scripted catalog, demonstrating proficiency in co-production, managing industry transformations, and fostering long-term strategic growth. On the other hand, since Matthews joined in 2023, they have played a crucial role in bolstering the scripted community, boosting the storytelling process, and spearheading efforts to promote collaboration between labels on a global scale, as stated further.

Banijay stated that they will utilize each other’s unique skills to enhance their existing responsibilities and aggressively expand the group’s services and influence within the international scripted market.

Balmary expressed that “our scripted content is consistently gaining more power, with a blend of fresh successes and proven winners receiving prestigious awards and extensive praise from critics,” further stating that “the revitalized positions for Steve and Johannes will boost our creative and business intelligence, enabling us to remain innovative and dominant on a global scale.

Matthews emphasized the importance of strengthening and uplifting editorial teams, as well as nurturing robust creative collaborations among them across Banijay Entertainment’s scripted network. He further stated that by joining forces to cultivate lasting relationships with both established and rising talents, we will further enhance the group’s renown for exceptional storytelling.

As a gamer, I understand that in this cutthroat gaming world, triumph lies in crafting and utilizing the most potent collection of scripted game intellectual properties. Teamwork fuels this success, and this new organizational setup will unite our deal-making skills with creative genius to guarantee we continue making waves globally.

Banijay Entertainment’s scripted hits encompass a variety of shows such as “Ripley” starring Andrew Scott, “The Sixth Commandment”, the adaptation of “Like Water for Chocolate”, “Billionaire’s Island”, and “NCIS: Sydney”.

Read More

2025-01-27 15:24