Banijay has partnered with YouTube to launch an Entertainment Creators Lab in France to tap into the fast-expanding creator economy with a new dedicated channel, Banijay Creators Studio.
Teased by Banijay Entertainment boss Marco Bassetti at Mipcom where he received Variety’s Vanguard Award, the initiative will bridge the gap between creators and creatives by inviting France’s vibrant community of YouTubers.
While the innovative project is kicking off in France, Banijay will soon be deploying in other major territories.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to test, to launch and maybe to scale up in the future some of our dormant IP, because we have a huge dormant catalog of formats, or maybe to launch a new show,” Bassetti said during a fireside chat with Variety on the stage of the Grand Auditorium at Mipcom.
Conceived as a creative R&D sandbox, the Entertainment Creators Lab will see five YouTube talents – who have published at least two videos to 100k views — reinvent some of the company’s iconic entertainment formats for the platform’s digital-native audience. Each of these five talents benefits from up to €50,000 to support their development and the production of a pilot.
Throughout the process, Banijay France’s creatives and producers will provide mentorship, support and technical advice, alongside YouTube’s France-based team. Once finalized, the pilots will be uploaded to the respective creators’ channels, as well the company’s new channel, Banijay Creators Studio.
The formats selected for the lab by Banijay France’s are: “Minute to Win It ” from Banijay Production Media; “1ère compagnie” from Endemol France, “Got to Dance” from DMLS TV; “Dilemme” from BProd; and “La tête et les jambes” from ALP.
YouTube’s managing director Justine Ryst said, “This partnership illustrates the synergies between YouTube and leading producers like Banijay France.”
“Our role is to welcome all creators and foster dialogue that sparks new opportunities. In uniting expertise and leveraging YouTube’s creative community, the company is opening new pathways for shared growth — an approach that is bold, innovative, and perfectly aligned with today’s viewing habits,” Ryst continued.
Banijay France’s boss Alexia Laroche Joubert said, “I am proud Banijay France is the first to participate in this innovative partnership with YouTube.”
“Thanks to this game-chaging initiative, creators will have the opportunity to reinvent our emblematic brands for their own digital universes,” Laroche Joubert continued. She added that she’s “been looking for a concrete and relevant way to unite our worlds” for the last few years, and “through this venture, we can do just that.”
“Embodying our desire to be at the forefront of innovation, we are opening our brands to new territories of expression and creation, delivering a more open, creative ecosystem,” Laroche Joubert continued.
Damein Viel, Banijay’s chief digital and innovation officer at Banijay Entertainment, said, “A pioneering, entrepreneurial DNA has always sat at the core of this business – perhaps the biggest similarity between our creatives, and YouTube’s creators.”
“But despite our complementary attitudes, we recognized the need to bridge the gap between us more effectively in order to explore new opportunities and alternative economic models for content,” added Viel.
The news comes as YouTube celebrates its 20-year anniversary with its first appearance at Mipcom. Earlier today, YouTube’s EMEA boss Pedro Pina took part in an on-stage conversation with BBC Studios digital SVP Jasmine Dawson to unpack their partnership.
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