Paris– Banijay Group and Zodiak Media announced that it has completed the transaction to unite their complimentary catalogues and production units. The new Group now has operations in 17 territories producing entertainment, drama, factual, reality entertainment, docu-drama, children’s and animation programming. 

The newly-created Banijay Group is 73.8% controlled by a company composed of Stéphane Courbit’s LOV Group (50.1%) and DeA Communications – a company belonging to De Agostini Group (49.9%), with Vivendi owning 26.2% of the total Group.  Stéphane Courbit is named Chairman and Marco Bassetti is appointed CEO of Banijay Group.

With revenues of around US$1 billion, the completed merger has created the world’s biggest independent production company and the largest that is not controlled by a media group.