Banijay Names Steve Matthews Head of Scripted, Creative, Johannes Jensen Business Head
France-headquartered content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment unveiled a new combined leadership structure for its central scripted division on Monday appointing Steve Matthews as head of scripted, creative and Johannes Jensen as head of scripted, business. Reporting to chief business officer Frédéric Balmary, the duo will work in unison “to effectively support and partner with the group’s thriving portfolio of over 60 dedicated labels,” the firm said.
Matthews has served as content partnerships executive so far and Jensen as Banijay Nordic head of scripted. The latter has also led two production labels Jarowskij and Yellow Bird, now merged as Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, with Banijay noting that “he has played an integral role in significantly uplifting scripted slates, with expertise in co-production, navigating complex industry changes, and driving long-term strategic expansion.” Matthews, since joining in 2023, “has played a pivotal role in supporting the scripted community, fueling the storytelling pipeline, and spearheading initiatives to encourage collaboration across labels worldwide,” it added.
Banijay said that the two “will leverage their complementary expertise to evolve their current roles and ambitiously grow the group’s offering and position in the global scripted market.”
Balmary said that “our scripted offering continues to go from strength to strength with a combined slate of new hits and successful returners scooping high-profile awards and widespread critical acclaim,” adding that “the refreshed roles for Steve and Johannes will strengthen our creative and business acumen, ensuring we continue to innovate and lead on the global stage.”
Matthews said that it is key “to support and empower editorial teams and to foster strong creative partnerships between them across Banijay Entertainment’s scripted network,” adding: “In working together to develop enduring relationships with talent – established or emerging – we will continue to grow the group’s reputation for first-class storytelling.”
Added Jensen: “In an increasingly competitive environment, success is built on creating and exploiting the most powerful slate of scripted IP possible. Collaboration drives that success, and this new structure will align deal-making nous with creative prowess to ensure we remain globally influential.”
Banijay Entertainment’s scripted successes include the likes of Ripley with Andrew Scott, The Sixth Commandment, Like Water for Chocolate, Billionaire’s Island, and NCIS: Sydney.
