Lionsgate is reportedly exploring a sale, with the UK’s Banijay and France’s Bollore and Mediawan among potential buyers.
According to sources cited in a report by Reuters, the US film and TV studio has been working with an investment bank to evaluate expressions of interest. The report also said that a deal is not certain and Lionsgate could remain independent. A Lionsgate spokesperson declined comment.
The report names Bollore Group, holder of a controlling interest in pay TV giant Canal+, and Banijay, the UK-based group with film and TV labels across 25 countries, as companies interested in acquiring Lionsgate. Other reports have suggested that production and distribution conglomerate Mediawan is also interested.
A Banijay spokesperson had no comment. Mediawan did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Bollore could not be reached for comment at press time.
Lionsgate, which completed its separation from pay TV operator Starz last year, is currently riding high on the success of Michael Jackson biopic Micheal, which has just surpassed $1bn at the worldwide box office, becoming Lionsgate’s highest grossing film ever.
Banijay has only just completed the merger of Banijay Entertainment and All3Media, creating what is claimed to be the world’s largest production group outside of the US. The combined entity will house IP including unscripted TV shows The Traitors and Big Brother, dramas House Of Guinness and The Assassin and features Hamnet and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Mediawan acquired Peter Chernin’s US studio North Road Company in January, the French company’s first North American investment since Plan B Entertainment in 2022. Together, Mediawan and North Road operate nearly 100 individual production companies in countries including the US, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Australia, Mexico and Turkey.
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