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FIFA World Cup and Olympic Ceremonies Producer Balich Wonder Studio Expands Footprint to North America and Mexico
Balich Wonder Studio, the Milan-based production outfit behind six FIFA World Cup ceremonies and numerous Olympic events, has announced plans to establish offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico City as part of a strategic expansion into North America. The move follows a prolific period in which the studio produced the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony and the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony, alongside other high-profile sporting and cultural events.
The expansion is enabled by the recent completion of an $8 billion merger between Banijay Entertainment (Balich's parent company) and RedBird IMI's All3Media, which together now claim to form the world's largest independent production company. Leadership signalled the expansion would combine Banijay's content and digital infrastructure with RedBird IMI's sports and investment expertise to pursue major live entertainment opportunities in North America whilst maintaining existing hubs in Milan, Paris, Dubai, Riyadh, and Shanghai.
In short
- Balich Wonder Studio, which produces FIFA World Cup and Olympic opening/closing ceremonies, is opening offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico City
- The North American expansion follows the studio's 2025–2026 peak (Winter Olympics opening, World Cup closing) and is enabled by Banijay Entertainment's $8 billion merger with All3Media
Explained simply
Balich Wonder Studio is a Milan-based production company specialising in creating opening and closing ceremonies for major sporting events. The company has produced ceremonies for six FIFA World Cups and numerous Olympic Games, establishing itself as one of the world's leading firms in staging these globally watched spectacles.
Balich's parent company, Banijay Entertainment, recently completed an $8 billion merger with All3Media, a sports-focused production firm backed by investment group RedBird IMI. The combined entity, now claimed to be the world's largest independent production company, seeks to leverage Banijay's digital capabilities alongside All3Media's sports expertise to pursue major entertainment opportunities globally.
This consolidation reflects how production companies are increasingly merging to scale up and compete for lucrative contracts to produce major global events. North America is a significant market for such opportunities, as the region regularly hosts Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, and other large-scale sporting events that command substantial budgets and worldwide viewership.
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