Endemol

History

Endemol was founded in 1994 by a merger of television production companies owned by Joop van den Ende and John de Mol, the name deriving from the combination of their surnames.

On 23 June 1998, Endemol Entertainment had announced that they've entered the British market by acquiring a 50% majority stake in London-based production company Broadcast Communications from the Guardian Media Group.

Endemol has specialised in formatted programming that can be adapted for different countries around the world as well as different media platforms. One notable success has been the Big Brother reality television show, with versions in many countries after the initial Dutch version. Other examples include Deal or No Deal (sold to over 75 countries), The Money Drop (sold in over 50 countries), Fear Factor (sold in 30 countries) and Wipeout (sold in over 30 countries). From 2011 till its absorption by Endemol Shine Group, the company expanded its English language drama output with shows such as The Fall, Peaky Blinders, Ripper Street and Black Mirror in the UK and Hell on Wheels in the US. In November 2013 the company launched Endemol Beyond, an international division specialising in original content for digital video platforms such as YouTube.

In 2000, Endemol was sold to the Spanish telecom and media corporation Telefónica for €5.5 billion. In November 2005, 25% of Endemol was taken public, and since was listed on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange under the stock symbol EML.

In late-July 2000, Endemol Entertainment announced that they've sold their international distribution arm alongside its film library to Canadian media conglomerate Canwest and had merged Endemol's distribution arm into their entertainment production subsidiary Fireworks Entertainment, in order for Endemol Entertainment to focus on their television production activities.

On 30 September 2003, Endemol announced that they had acquired a 51% majority stake in New York-based American reality independent production company True Entertainment with the company continued to be operated and placed with Endemol's US division with the latter expanding their international operations.

On 8 December 2006, Endemol announced that they would reacquire their French division Endemol France from their former parent Telefonica. By 9 January 2007, the Dutch-based European entertainment company had made a deal with their former parent company Telefonica to buy back their French outfit which would become a division of the reunited Dutch-based entertainment giant.

On 14 May 2007 the remaining 75% of Endemol shares were bought by a consortium, Edam Acquisition, led by Mediaset, the company controlled by Silvio Berlusconi's family, and including the investment company Cyrte, in which the original co-founder John de Mol has shares. The consortium announced on 6 August 2007 that it now owned 99.54% of Endemol shares, after an offer to buy the remaining shares went through on 3 August 2007; it asked the Euronext bourse for a delisting of Endemol.

In December 2009, Endemol announced that their German division Endemol Germany had entered drama production by launching a joint-venture with Germany's Wiedemann & Berg Film being named Wiedemann & Berg Television with W&B Film founders Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann overseeing the management and will focus on scripted television series.

It was reported in 2010 that the company was $3 billion in debt. Then in 2011, it was reported that the debt had grown to $4.1 billion.

On 9 August 2010, Endemol announced that they acquired a majority stake in Los Angeles-based American reality production company Authentic Entertainment expanding their operations in the USA.{{cite web|title=Endemol acquires Authentic

A loan restructure was planned for 2011 when Endemol was expected to breach its debt covenants. On 30 June, the debt covenants were breached at the same time that CEO Ynon Kreiz left the company and Endemol's UK subsidiary failed to file its annual accounts. On 23 March 2012, Endemol's debt was converted into shares by US private-equity firm Apollo Global Management. On 3 April 2012, Mediaset sold its majority stake in Endemol to Apollo and Dutch asset manager Cyrte, and Endemol restructured the bulk of its debt. The current CEO is Just Spee. On 15 May 2014, Apollo and 21st Century Fox announced a joint venture to combine 21st Century Fox's Shine Group and Apollo's Endemol and CORE Media Group. The deal closed October 2014.{

Over the years Endemol has expanded its international presence either by starting up operations in new markets or by acquiring existing production companies. Most recently, in December 2013, Endemol became a shareholder in Israel's Channel 2 franchisee Reshet, following the acquisition in April of a controlling share in the Israeli independent producer Kuperman, which is now Endemol Israel.

On 17 December 2014, Endemol's parent company Apollo Global Management announced that they've completed their merger of Endemol with fellow Apollo subsidiary Core Media, producer of American Idol, and 21st Century Fox's British-based entertainment production and distribution company Shine unit, with the resulting 'mega-indie' adopting the name "Endemol Shine Group", which was a 50:50 joint venture by both parent companies. The name took effect on 1 January 2015. 21st Century Fox's predecessor company, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, had in 2011 bought Shine (founder and chairperson until the 2015 merger: Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth) for $673 million.

Global presence

Endemol has the following operations around the world:

Endemol USA

Main article: Endemol Shine North America#As Endemol USA

Endemol UK

Main article: Endemol Shine UK

Originally known as Broadcast Communications, Endemol UK is one of the UK's longest established production groups and won its first television commissions in the mid-1980s. It produces the main Endemol franchises such as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal.

Endemol India

In January 2006, Endemol started producing programs with Mohit Raina in different channels which are in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali from Mumbai, India. For various media company's channels were Sony Pictures Networks India, Disney Star, Sun TV Network, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Viacom 18, NDTV Imagine, Mazhavil Manorama

Endemol Australia

Main article: Endemol Australia

Endemol Australia (formerly "Endemol Southern Star") is an Australian production company which was previously a joint venture of Endemol and Southern Star Group. Endemol purchased Southern Star Group from Fairfax Media in January 2009. It produces Endemol's popular worldwide formats for Australia, including Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, and Ready Steady Cook. It is based in Australia.

Lawsuits

Endemol sued Brazilian channel SBT over what it says was a Big Brother copycat, and threatened to sue Russian Behind the Glass for the same reason.{{cite journal

Endemol was sued by four Georgia women alleging that a text-message game featured on Deal or No Deal is a form of illegal gambling.

Productions

Reality television

• Auction Kings (produced by Endemol subsidiary Authentic Entertainment)
• Big Brother
• Secret Story (Version of Big Brother, exclusively for TF1, France, TVI, Portugal, and NET 5, Netherlands)
• Changing Rooms
• Dating in the Dark
• I Love Money
• Fear Factor (2001–2006; 2011–2012)
• The Big Donor Show
• Star Academy / Fame Academy
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• The Bus
• The Games
• The Farm
• Jerseylicious
• Masterplan - O Grande Mestre
• Nice People
• Only Fools on Horses
• There's Something About Miriam
• Gay, Straight or Taken?
• Kid Nation
• Queen Bees
• Estate of Panic
• Southern Belles: Louisville
• Survivor South Africa
• T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle
• Love in the Wild
• Utopia (2014), a reality TV program featuring 15 people given the aim of building up a new community living on a rural property
• The Voice

Factual

• Restoration - Aired 2003, 2004, 2006
• Restoration Home - (2011–2013)

Late night/variety shows

• Crónicas Marcianas
• Games Uplate Live (2006–2009; ABS-CBN)

Drama

• Black Mirror (drama/satire)
• The Fall (Crime drama)
• Peaky Blinders (Crime drama)
• Hell on Wheels (Western)
• Benidorm (Comedy)
• Ripper Street (Crime drama)
• Bad Education (Comedy)
• My Mad Fat Diary (Comedy)
• Isidingo (Soapie)
• Graduados (romantic comedy)
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
• Los exitosos Pells (Comedy)
• Red Widow (crime drama/mystery)

Game shows

• 1 vs. 100
• 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow
• The Winner Is
• 20Q
• Beat the Nation
• BrainTeaser
• Break the Bank
• Deal or No Deal
• Divided
• Eliminator
• Fear Factor
• For the Rest of Your Life
• Golden Balls
• Hotrods
• In the Grid
• Judas Game
• Midnight Money Madness
• The Million Pound Drop (quiz show)
• Participation TV
• Pointless
• Set for Life
• Show Me the Money
• Take the Cake
• The Almost Impossible Gameshow
• The Bank Job
• The Brain
• The Wall
• Wipeout / Total Wipeout
• XXS – Extra Extra Small
• Wheel of Fortune

Children's shows

• The DJ Kat Show
• Gordon the Garden Gnome
• Bananas in Pyjamas
• Nini
• Pig's Breakfast
• Hi-5
• How 2
• The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky
• Animal Express
• Cushion Kids
• Classic Tales
• Aliens Among Us
• The Shak
• The Tribe
• Dinky Dog
• R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour
• Total Drama
• Ani Tore! EX
• I Can Cook
• Geef Nooit Op

Live TV

• Domino Day

Sitcoms

• Hot in Cleveland (International distribution only)
• Happily Divorced (International distribution only)
• The Exes

Talk/Variety

• The Steve Harvey Show
• Katch It With Khanyi

Notes

References

1. "Endemol Entertainment Holding NV – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Endemol Entertainment Holding NV".
2. Kelly, Brendan. (2000-07-28). "CanWest bags Endemol unit".
3. Johnson, Debra. (September 30, 2003). "Endemol's aim is True Entertainment".
4. (December 8, 2006). "Endemol targets France buy".
5. (January 9, 2007). "Endemol buys back French arm".
6. [https://earthtimes.org/articles/news/62453.html "Telefonica sells Endemol to Mediaset"] ''Earth Times'', Mon, 14 May 2007.
7. (6 August 2007). "Buyout group owns 99.54 pct of Endemol after offer". Reuters.
8. Meza, Ed. (December 17, 2009). "Endemol teams with ‘Others’ duo".
9. Tim Adler in London. (15 July 2010). "Endemol Shareholders May Be Forced To Inject Fresh Equity Before August Deadline". Deadline.
10. (1 July 2011). "Goldman, Berlusconi Set to Lose Endemol Bet: Corporate Finance". Bloomberg.
11. (13 May 2011). "Endemol Sets Lenders' Meeting For Next Week". Reuters.
12. (31 July 2010). "In the air: Endemol UK is late to file accounts". Evening Standard.
13. Martijn van der Starre "Bloomberg News" 26 March 2012 [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-23/endemol-debt-taken-on-converted-into-shares-by-apollo-cyrte.html Endemol Debt Taken On, Converted Into Shares by Apollo] bloomberg.com, Retrieved on 13 January 2014.
14. Jonathan Webdale "C21 Media" 3 April 2012 [https://www.c21media.net/news/mediaset-sells-off-endemol-stake/ Mediaset sells Endemol stake], c21media.com, Retrieved on 13 January 2014.
15. [https://deadline.com/2014/05/21st-century-fox-apollo-in-joint-venture-talks-for-shine-endemol-and-core-media-730977/ 21st Century Fox & Apollo In Joint Venture Talks For Shine, Endemol And CORE Media], NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor deadline.com, Retrieved on 18 May 2014.
16. (23 December 2013). "Endemol buys into Israel's Reshet".
17. Andreeva, Nellie. (December 17, 2014). "Endemol, Shine & Core Joint Venture Gets Name, Sets More Top Execs, Merges Distribution & International Operations".
18. Franks, Nico. (December 17, 2014). "Endemol, Shine structure revealed".
19. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-15/fox-s-shine-to-join-apollo-s-endemol-core-media-in-tv-venture ''Fox-Apollo TV Merger Joins "Idol" With "Biggest Loser"'', Chris Palmeri, Bloomberg Business, New York, 15 May 2014]. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
20. (3 February 2022). "Kangana Ranaut to host ALTBalaji & MX Player's biggest & most fearless reality show - Lock Upp: Badass Jail, Atyaachari Khel! - Times of India".
21. (19 January 2009). "Endemol to buy Southern Star". C21Media.
22. Schossler, Jason. (June 2007). "'Deal or No Deal' Sued for Text-Message Game". Andrews Publications.
23. Pascoe, Robin. (7 January 2014). "Big Brother producer has high hopes for new reality tv format Utopia".
24. Brookes, Emily. (29 August 2008). "New MD, Wipeout commission for Endemol Portugal". C21 Media.