Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland Talks M&A After The Mam Tor Deal, Talent & Rewarding High-Performing Labels With Extra Investment – Mipcom Cannes
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland is focusing on M&A and talent, and is rewarding high-performing labels with extra investment as he enters his first Mipcom Cannes in the new role.
In his first interview since replacing Peter Salmon in May, Holland told Deadline he is keen to look into buying more labels now that the Endemol Shine Group acquisition is fully complete, starting with Chloe producer Mam Tor Productions, which was revealed by Deadline this morning.
The former BBC Factual boss and BBC Two Controller has taken on a vast job, tying Banijay’s multiple UK labels together creatively and strategically since the departure of both Salmon and subsequently Chief Creative Officer Lucinda Hicks, which meant his role expanded before he had even started. “I don’t think Banijay is necessarily seen as a major player in M&A,” he said. “You don’t just buy a company for its own sake but we want to create a sense of being a place that invests in companies that have a track record in a certain genre.” He has taken his first step and was instrumental in the acquisition of Tally Garner’s Mam Tor, which he is confident will bear fruit with a set of “very exciting development projects to come.” Holland knows Mam Tor founder Garner from his days at the BBC and said the acquisition speaks to his desire to work with creative talent.
The company is in conversation with a variety of broadcasters and platforms and Holland also noted that there are very few UK scripted companies left that aren’t owned by a larger conglomerate.
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