Banijay Nordics has become the latest production business to restructure.
The Nordic arm of Banijay Entertainment is unifying its Sweden-based scripted and non-scripted production arms under two labels.
The scripted brand, Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, will bring together the scripted wing of Jarowskij and Wallander maker Yellow Bird. Elin Kvist, VP and Creative Director of Yellow Bird, is stepping up to become CEO of the merged label, with current Yellow Bird CEO Jakob Feeney taking on a consultancy role as COO/Head of Business Affairs. Malin Launch is taking on a Head of Production role, while interim CEO at Jarowskij, Johannes Jensen, will take a broader exec position at Banijay Nordics as Group Head of Scripted.
The unscripted unit will bring together Meter and Jarowskij’s entertainment and factual production assets under Madelene Hansson, who was previously CEO of Meter. Jarowskij’s Magnus Gustafson will be Chief Creative Officer.
Productions houses at Jarowskij/Yellow Bird will include A Nearly Normal Family, Wallander, Riding in Darkness, The Playlist, the upcoming landmark drama A Life’s Worth, as well as feature film Off Track 2. Jarowskij is considered a key played in Nordic comedy and drama, while Yellow Bird, which has international offices, is known for suspense-focused productions and international co-pros.
Meter/Jarowskij will house local versions of non-scripted brands such as MasterChef, SAS: Who Dares Wins, Good Luck Guys, LEGO Masters, Fort Boyard, and locally-created titles including Wild Kids and Luxury Trap. Banijay Nordic’s other Swedish labels, Filmlance and Mastiff Sweden, will continue to operate separately.
The changes follow suit similar moves in the UK, where Banijay Entertainment brought together RDF and Remarkable Factual in 2023 in the face of the tough economic market. RDF then closed its doors in February. Just yesterday, it was confirmed Banijay rival Fremantle was re-merging historic labels Talkback and Thames once again.
Banijay is position the changes in Sweden as “supersizing” and “supercharging” its production local offering, but Banijay Nordics CEO Jacob Houlind said “adapting” and “proactively positioning… to better deliver against demand” was crucial.
“Since its inception, Banijay Nordic has built a far-reaching collective of labels with unique DNA and talent at their core, ambitiously driven by entrepreneurialism and creativity,” he said.
“As our market adapts to a new local reality following the influx of streamers and the dramatic change of the business model by our traditional clients, so must we, and in unifying these exceptional companies, we are proactively positioning ourselves to better deliver against demand, and in doing so, are safeguarding the group for a healthy future. Championing the creativity, expertise and know-how of Elin, Madelene, and Magnus, together with the rest of the existing team members, we are confident these content powerhouses will thrive alongside our fantastic teams at fellow brands, Mastiff and Filmlance.”
Kvist, CEO at Jarowskij/Yellow Bird added: “By uniting these two iconic scripted brands into our new label Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, we will be able to present an extremely powerful and ambitious slate to the market, in collaboration with the region’s best creative talent. With the collective knowledge and experience of Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, we are well-positioned to continue our drive as one of the Nordic region’s strongest producers of high-quality, impactful drama.”
Hansson, CEO at Meter/Jarowskij said: “This new chapter brings together the best of non-scripted entertainment with a team empowered to push creative boundaries, ensuring we have a future slate of authentic formats to spark conversations and unite audiences. With a strong foundation in reimagining global hits, and innovating locally-born titles, Meter/Jarowskij is set to expand its diverse slate of first-class entertainment.”