Ben Samek, chief executive of Banijay Americas, will oversee the combined Banijay and All3Media business in the United States following their $8 billion merger. The appointment puts an experienced executive in charge of integrating the companies’ US operations as the newly formed Banijay Entertainment seeks to strengthen its position as the world’s largest independent production company.

Banijay Entertainment is based in London and is jointly owned by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, with each holding 50%; Jeff Zucker is chairman, Marco Bassetti chief executive and Jane Turton deputy chief executive. Samek has led Banijay Americas since February 2023 and previously held senior roles at Endemol and 51 Minds; his portfolio includes franchises such as “Big Brother”, “MasterChef”, “Below Deck” and “The Challenge”, while All3Media’s US success includes Peacock’s “The Traitors”.