Banijay is accelerating plans to regionalize the revived Fear Factor after the Fox reboot’s strong performance in the United States. At its London TV Screenings, Banijay executives said the group will open one or more European format hubs to streamline localized productions and cut costs. They also presented a slate of new programme ideas to potential buyers.
The Fox revival, produced by Endemol Shine North America and fronted by Johnny Knoxville as Fear Factor: House of Fear, reworked the early-2000s stunt competition for a contemporary audience. With discussions about a second season already under way in the U.S., Banijay officials told buyers a hub model could speed rollouts across multiple markets. The approach would allow broadcasters and streamers to adapt the show’s core mechanics while retaining local creative control.
Why European hubs make commercial sense
Banijay executives argued the hub model reduces duplication of effort across territories. Centralised build and technical crews could lower production costs. Local teams would focus on casting, cultural adjustments and broadcaster needs. Transaction data shows format reworks travel faster when production elements are standardised.
In content distribution, location is everything: proximity to crews and studio facilities cuts logistics time and expense. A hub can offer repeatable sets, shared rigging and single-source postproduction. That model shortens turnaround for local versions and improves cost predictability for buyers and commissioners.
The company framed the hubs as a way to protect creative integrity while increasing commercial scalability. Executives said the format’s stunt-heavy nature benefits from centralised safety protocols and specialist crews. The hub approach, they added, also allows faster deployment of format variants to fit different regulatory or broadcaster requirements.
Building on the hub approach, Banijay argues the model reduces start-up costs and compresses lead times for commissioning. By centralizing set construction, technical crews and format bibles, rights holders lower per-territory expenses and tighten quality control. The result is faster market launches and simpler compliance with varied broadcaster and regulatory requirements.
Executives at the screenings pointed to prior formats such as Ninja Warrior and The Wall as precedents for these efficiencies. For productions with complex stunts and safety regimes, notably Fear Factor, a regional hub transfers technical knowledge and infrastructure to local teams. That reduces the operational burden on national broadcasters and shortens ramp-up times for new versions.
In real estate, location is everything; the analogy applies to production hubs. Placing specialised crews and equipment where demand clusters preserves capital expenditure and raises marginal returns. Transaction data shows format owners can improve ROI by amortising set builds across multiple commissions and by standardising risk-management procedures.
Fox revival boosts international sales as hub strategy compresses lead times
Building on the hub model, transaction data shows format owners can improve return on investment by amortising set builds across multiple commissions and by standardising risk-management procedures. Fox’s revival of the series, with Johnny Knoxville as host, has accelerated those commercial conversations.
Knoxville joined buyers at a Banijay screening remotely and spoke about the hosting role. He described the thrill of watching contestants face extreme challenges and the satisfaction when they overcome fear. Broadcasters and buyers cited his involvement as a factor that strengthened the show’s profile during rights negotiations.
Banijay says Season 2 talks in the United States are well under way. Several European broadcasters are already discussing local adaptations. Denmark’s TV2 has publicly announced a greenlight for a domestic version, illustrating the format’s cross-border appeal and Banijay’s shift from rights sales to active production partnerships.
Hubbing as a roll-out mechanism
The hub approach reduces start-up costs and shortens delivery timelines by centralising set construction, technical crews and format bibles. Producers can deploy a standardised package to multiple territories, lowering per-commission risk and accelerating time to air.
For format owners, the model improves scalability. Transaction data shows standardisation yields clearer budgeting and faster commissioning decisions. Broadcasters retain room for local casting and minor format tweaks while benefiting from centralised efficiencies.
For buyers, the presence of a high-profile host during early sales meetings can tip procurement decisions. Brick and mortar production remains essential for spectacle-driven formats, but the hub reduces the need for duplicated infrastructure across markets.
Industry sources say the combination of celebrity attachment and hubbed production increases the likelihood of simultaneous multi-territory launches. Expect further sales activity as Banijay moves from contractual agreements to confirmed production schedules.
As Banijay moves from contractual agreements to confirmed production schedules, distributors are selling a clear operational advantage: the hub model reduces complexity and accelerates deals. Centralizing builds and safety protocols delivers uniform production values across markets. That standardization lowers buyers’ perceived risk and shortens negotiation timetables when multiple territories target simultaneous rollouts.
New formats and broader strategy at the London screenings
At the London screenings, executives framed the hub approach as a commercial lever as much as a technical one. Transaction data shows owners can amortize set construction and allocate specialist crews more efficiently. Those efficiencies raise potential return on investment and make ambitious formats more attractive to cautious commissioners.
Distributors also stressed compliance. A single compliance pathway simplifies approvals for sequences that involve stunts or complex logistics. Broadcasters receive detailed, repeatable safety plans, which reduces their liability exposure and helps secure earlier green lights.
In real estate, location is everything; in production, repeatability and compliance drive value. Brick and mortar always remains, and here the physical set and standardized processes are the asset. That combination is likely to underpin additional sales activity as confirmed productions move into delivery phases.
That combination is likely to underpin additional sales activity as confirmed productions move into delivery phases. Banijay used the London market to advance that momentum and to present a diverse slate of new formats for broadcasters and streamers.
Beyond the renewed push for Fear Factor, the company showcased concepts spanning high-concept game shows to music-technology hybrids that apply advanced tools to production and rights management. Highlights included a survival-style football format, an intense culinary contest titled 100 Knives, and a music competition that uses AI likeness licensing to pair contemporary artists with iconic voices. Banijay said the latter approach has secured estate approval for select legacy performers.
Banijay also highlighted a relationship-driven format set in a villa that has resonated with streaming audiences. The property performed strongly on Joyn, and the distributor reported active negotiations with streamers. Transaction data shows the company is prioritising simultaneous outreach to linear broadcasters and digital platforms when placing new IP.
Scouting formats beyond traditional channels
Banijay’s slate signals a strategic shift toward hybrid formats and rights models designed for multiplatform distribution. The company is testing monetisation strategies that combine traditional licensing fees with new revenue streams linked to technology-driven IP extensions. Brick-and-mortar broadcast deals remain central, but digital partnerships are increasingly decisive for global rollouts.
Negotiations for streamer deals on the villa format illustrate that dynamic. Sales teams are pitching proven audience performance alongside tech-enabled features, such as AI-driven music licensing, to shorten commercial cycles and increase perceived ROI. The approach reflects a market where content owners must offer both creative hooks and clear revenue mechanics to close deals.
Banijay is also expanding its talent-scouting playbook by hunting for concepts that originate on digital platforms like YouTube. The distributor highlighted projects being developed in partnership with broadcasters—including one originally conceived as a YouTube format that is now moving toward television development—illustrating how social-first ideas can migrate into mainstream unscripted programming.
The company’s development executives stressed that modern formats must launch with brand-level thinking: a pitch today needs a clear plan for multi-season durability, cross-platform marketing, and adaptability. Partnerships with third-party creators and global licensors, including recent collaborations with Japanese format owners, are part of Banijay’s toolbox for scaling ideas quickly.
Industry context and potential consolidation
Transaction data shows buyers increasingly favour companies that combine creative reach with clear monetisation strategies. Broadcasters and streamers now demand formats that perform across linear, digital and international windows.
That pressure favours larger groups able to deploy global sales teams, in-house production capacity and licensing relationships. Smaller independents face higher barriers to entry for scale-dependent revenue streams.
Banijay has used partnerships and format acquisitions to accelerate growth. The strategy reduces time to market and spreads development risk across platforms and territories.
Analysts say consolidation could intensify as buyers chase catalogue depth and recurring revenue. For rights owners, the question is whether to build scale internally or become attractive takeover targets.
For investors and partners, the commercial test is straightforward: can a format move beyond a single-episode spike to deliver repeatable audience value and licensing income? Transaction-minded development now shapes creative choices as much as editorial ones.
Industry consolidation looms as Banijay focuses on European roll-out
Transaction-minded development now shapes creative choices as much as editorial ones. Behind the screenings, a potential merger between Banijay and All3Media remains a live factor that could reshape future markets and screening line-ups.
If completed, the deal would combine extensive format libraries and distribution networks under one roof. That consolidation would alter competitive dynamics by concentrating catalogue ownership and bargaining power among broadcasters and streamers.
For the moment, Banijay’s operational priority is clear. The company is working to translate Fox’s U.S. momentum for Fear Factor into a coordinated European roll-out. Executives aim to leverage regional hubs to reduce production costs and accelerate local versions.
Transaction data shows the distributor is simultaneously marketing and developing an eclectic slate of new formats for both broadcasters and streaming platforms. The dual strategy seeks short-term sales and longer-term franchise growth.
In real estate, location is everything; in formats, local execution often determines return on investment. Banijay’s hub model intends to improve cash flow and cap rate by standardizing production while tailoring content to national audiences.
Brick and mortar always remains relevant in this context: production centres, studio capacity and distribution relationships will decide how quickly new formats scale across territories. The next industry moves will likely hinge on whether consolidation advances or whether distributors pursue growth through decentralized production and targeted sales.