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Banijay + All3 and the Year of Consolidation: What 2026 Means for TV Formats

aamazingnewsworld

2026-02-07

10 min read

Banijay + All3 signals 2026's consolidation wave — how it reshapes format licensing, global hits like MasterChef and The Traitors, and creative diversity.

Hook: Why this consolidation matters to fans, creators and buyers right now

If you feel overwhelmed trying to find trustworthy coverage of the shows you love — and worried that your favourite formats might be reshaped or disappear — you’re not alone. In 2026 the broadcast and format-licensing world is moving faster than ever: Banijay and All3Media’s talks to cozy up have crystallized a year-long trend of consolidation that directly affects how formats are licensed, how global franchises scale, and who controls creative risk and reward.

Quick take: The biggest shifts you need to track

Consolidation is shifting bargaining power, with larger groups able to bundle rights, cross-sell formats and demand higher licensing fees. Global franchises will scale faster — but often as narrower, brand-safe variants. And creative diversity is at risk unless commissioners, indie producers and regulators act now to protect local voices and experimental formats.

The Banijay + All3 story in a paragraph

At the start of 2026, industry outlets confirmed that Banijay — which bought Zodiak Media in 2015 and Endemol Shine Group in 2020 — is in deep discussions with RedBird IMI, the owner of All3Media, over a production-assets merger. Trade coverage dubbed the potential combo "Bani3" or similar shorthand, signaling what many executives already felt: a new mega-player in formats and production is imminent. That deal, if completed, would bring massive format portfolios under common management and reshape how formats travel around the globe.

"Already, there have been plenty of signs that consolidation will be the buzzword of 2026 in international entertainment." — industry newsletter coverage, early 2026

Why format licensing will feel different in 2026

Format licensing is not just about selling a bible and a tape anymore. It’s about global IP management, data-driven rollouts, local adaptation strategy and bundled commercial deals. The Banijay + All3 talks accelerate several trends that gained momentum in late 2025:

Bundled rights and cross-selling: Bigger groups can offer networks and streamers packages of formats rather than single-show deals — think a competitive-reality bundle plus a scripted format slate for one fee.
Pricing power: Consolidators can push higher upfront fees and longer licensing terms, using scale to justify investment in global marketing and production value.
Faster global rollouts: Centralized distribution means a format can be greenlit in multiple territories quickly, using a single localization team and standardized production playbooks.
Data-led commissioning: Owners with scale will leverage audience analytics across territories to iterate formats — prioritizing variants that deliver predictable ratings and social engagement.
Legal and rights complexity: Mergers create tangled rights portfolios, making due diligence and clarity on historical deals more important than ever for buyers and for creators who want to retain residuals or sequel rights.

What this means for global franchises like MasterChef and The Traitors

Franchises with proven global appeal — MasterChef, the competition behemoth, and The Traitors, the social-deduction breakout — are precisely the assets a merged Banijay/All3 would monetize aggressively. Expect three clear outcomes:

Deeper exploitation of IP: More licensing windows, more spin-offs (celebrity, junior, digital-first), and synchronized global seasons aimed at capturing streaming-first audiences.
Increased localization standardization: To minimize risk, licensors will supply stricter localization guides. Local producers get less leeway but benefit from higher production support and brand tools.
Premium pricing for marquee formats: Networks and streamers will pay a premium for established brands; smaller, riskier pilots will have fewer buyers.

For viewers, that can mean higher production values and more local versions — but also a thinning slate of new, experimental formats. For indie creators, the path to a global roll-out will increasingly run through the big format owners unless new distribution models emerge.

Creative diversity under consolidation: risk and opportunity

There’s a paradox at the heart of consolidation: bigger houses have the resources to invest in creative development, but they also have incentives to minimize risk. The result is often a tilt toward safer, replicable formats that can be scaled globally.

Risks:

Format homogenization: A handful of winning mechanics get cloned and adapted repeatedly.
Gatekeeping: Larger companies may prioritize in-house or partner talent, making it harder for outside innovators to break in.
Local nuance lost: Stricter localization playbooks can flatten culturally specific storytelling.

Opportunities:

Resource-backed innovation: Scale can fund riskier pilots within a corporate R&D budget or incubator program.
Global testbeds: Successful niche formats in one market can be trialed across territories with centralized data support; local teams can use field kits & edge tools to prototype quickly.
Hybrid releases: Consolidators can pilot formats as linear shows, streamer exclusives, and short-form social series simultaneously — improving discovery. Use platform-agnostic templates to preserve reach and flexibility (example playbook).

Case study: MasterChef — scale with constraints

MasterChef demonstrates the upside of consolidation: a globally recognized format that can be repackaged as MasterChef Teens, MasterChef: Professionals, and MasterChef: Celebrity. Under a larger owner, these variants can be rolled out faster and promoted across sister channels and platforms. But production playbooks and tighter brand controls mean local producers must follow a stricter format Bible — less room for radical reinterpretation.

Case study: The Traitors — experimental format, scalable mechanics

The Traitors began as a format that thrived on social interaction, tense editing and unpredictable human drama. It’s a perfect example of a show that benefits from centralized data: producers can test which twists and pacing choices perform best across markets and then standardize those elements to optimize engagement. But if consolidation pushes producers toward the most repeatable mechanics, the subtle cultural variations that made early versions distinctive could be reduced.

Regulatory and market context in 2026

Regulators are awake to consolidation’s effects. In late 2025 and into 2026, antitrust reviews and public-service mandates have framed how deals must protect competition and creative diversity. Expect more conditions on major mergers that touch content supply chains:

Remedies tied to rights transparency: Regulators may require clear public registries of format IP and past licensing commitments when portfolios change hands.
Local investment commitments: Parties might be forced to commit to minimum spend on independent local production and commissioning quotas for experimental formats.
Data access rules: Where audience data becomes a lever in negotiations, watchdogs could insist on standardized reporting to avoid anti-competitive hoarding.

Practical playbook: How stakeholders should respond in 2026

Here are actionable strategies for each group navigating the consolidation wave.

For indie creators and small producers

Protect your format early: Build a clear format Bible, register trademarks where applicable, and document unique mechanics. Use strong contract terms for reversion and sequel rights.
Keep multiple routes to market: Don’t rely solely on one licensor. Consider self-distribution on digital platforms, co-productions with overseas partners, or boutique distributors; use platform-agnostic templates (build guide).
Leverage data: Start collecting audience metrics on pilots and shorts to prove format value. Use social engagement and completion rates as bargaining chips — think ahead about portability and reporting standards (future metrics).
Pitch modular IP: Design formats as modular products — core mechanics + localization modules + digital companion ideas — making them easier to buy as part of bundles.

For buyers (networks & streamers)

Demand transparency: Ask for historical performance data across territories and clear rights histories to avoid surprises from consolidated catalogs. Regulators may require it during reviews (regulatory guidance).
Negotiate flexible windows: Protect your ability to pilot digital-first variants and keep options for spin-offs outside strict licensing windows.
Use incubators: Partner with indies and set aside commissioning budgets for experimental formats to preserve pipeline diversity.

For format owners & licensors

Balance scale with stewardship: Commit to creative labs and mentor programs for local producers to maintain diversity while exploiting scale; consider channel-build playbooks (how to build a channel).
Standardize fair-residuals: Offer transparent, tiered licensing that rewards local creative contributions and protects original creators’ upside.
Invest in rights clarity: Maintain searchable registries of format rights and past licensing terms so buyers and regulators can see provenance.

For regulators and industry bodies

Monitor concentration metrics: Track market share by format revenues and production assets, not just viewer share.
Enforce local development commitments: Tie merger approvals to demonstrable investment in independent production and format diversity funds.
Mandate data portability: Ensure audience and performance metrics can be shared with commissioners in standardized formats (policy playbook).

Negotiation checklist: Licensing contracts in a consolidated market

When negotiating format deals in 2026, use this checklist:

Rights window length — cap long exclusivity that blocks future formats.
Localization rights — define what adaptations are allowed and who approves creative changes.
Revenue share & escalators — include performance-based increases tied to viewership or international sales.
Data clauses — require granular reporting on ratings, streaming engagement, and social metrics.
Reversion and sequel carve-outs — protect creator control if formats are shelved.
Audit rights — allow third-party audits to confirm accurate royalty reporting.

Future scenarios: What could happen by 2028?

By 2028 there are plausible forks depending on regulation and market response:

Consolidation + steady innovation: Larger houses fund in-house labs and minority stakes in indies, preserving experimental pipelines while centralizing hit-making.
Monopoly pressure + regulation: Heavy-handed antitrust action forces divestitures and stronger protections for indie creators, leading to a more fragmented but diverse market.
Platform-driven disruption: Streamers and social platforms develop in-house formats and distribution models, bypassing traditional licensors and creating new direct-to-audience format economics.

Key takeaways for 2026

Consolidation is real — Banijay+All3 talks signal larger strategic moves across the industry this year.
Format licensing will get more complex: Bundles, data clauses and standardized localization rules will become common.
Big brands will be prioritized: MasterChef and The Traitors-like franchises gain leverage and become even more central to portfolio strategies.
Creative diversity must be actively defended: Incubators, regulatory safeguards and smart contract terms are essential to protect new voices.

Actionable closing — what you should do in the next 90 days

If you’re a creator: Audit your IP, update your format Bible, and start collecting early audience data.
If you’re a buyer: Review pending deals and insist on rights clarity and data access clauses in renewals.
If you’re a licensor: Set up an incubator budget and publish clear licensing tiers to reassure commissioners and regulators.
If you’re a regulator or commissioner: Open a consultation on format-market concentration metrics and data portability standards.

Final thoughts: Consolidation is a turning point, not an endgame

Banijay and All3Media's move is emblematic of a broader 2026 momentum: scale offers both power and possibility. For audiences, that can mean more polished global versions of favourite shows and faster access to international hits. For the ecosystem — creators, commissioners, indie producers, and regulators — it means adapting fast: protect creative rights, insist on transparency, and create structures that let scale fund experimentation rather than smother it.

The next chapter will be decided by contracts, regulatory choices and the creative strategies companies adopt. If you’re building a format or commissioning content this year, treat consolidation as a strategic variable: it can be a growth engine — or a gatekeeper. The difference will be how people plan, negotiate and insist on maintaining creative space.

Call to action

Want a practical checklist for updating your format contracts or launching an incubator program? Download our 2026 Format Playbook or sign up for our weekly alerts on consolidation moves, licensing data and market briefs — stay ahead in the Year of Consolidation.

amazingnewsworld

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.