Banijay France has finalized the lineup for its inaugural “Creators Lab,” a strategic partnership with YouTube designed to modernize legacy television assets. The initiative tasks four French content creator teams with reinventing iconic Banijay unscripted formats for digital-native audiences. Selected creators receive up to €50,000 to develop and produce a pilot episode, retaining creative freedom while accessing Banijay’s production infrastructure and IP. The deal focuses on the French market initially but is built as a scalable prototype for Banijay’s global footprint, bridging the gap between traditional linear formats and the creator economy.

Banijay France (Production Giant): Provides the IP catalog, production facilities, and technical mentorship. The initiative is led by Alexia Laroche-Joubert, CEO of Banijay France, who emphasizes the goal of uniting “premium storytelling and production know-how” with creator spontaneity.

YouTube (Platform): Provides strategic coaching, audience insights, and the distribution platform. Justine Ryst, Managing Director of YouTube France and Southern Europe, is the key executive, positioning the deal as a way to “invent new forms of storytelling tailored to digital behaviors.”

The Creators (Talent/Producers):

• Valise & Caramel: Adapting Minute to Win It (Banijay Production Media).

• SparkDise: Adapting 1ère Compagnie (Endemol France).

• Louise Aubery (MyBetterSelf): Adapting Got to Dance (DMLS TV).

• Noa Dorian: Adapting Dilemme (B Prod)

Banijay gains low-risk R&D for dormant IP, testing formats with younger demographics without expensive linear commissions. YouTube secures premium, IP-backed content that elevates its platform perception beyond “user-generated” video. Creators gain access to high-value formats and studio-grade resources, allowing them to scale their production quality.

Unique vs Precedented: This deal is Unique. While production studios often sign creators (e.g., Jellysmack, Studio71), inviting creators to re-engineer specific legacy IP as a formal R&D lab is a novel supply-chain move. It differs from standard licensing; it is co-development.

Competition:

• Fremantle & Viral Nation (Dec 2025): A similar strategic partnership where creators develop new original IP (e.g., Model Creator, Cr1me C0de) rather than reinventing old ones.

• ITV Studios: Recently launched a “Digital Formats Lounge” strategy to adapt formats for social platforms, though less formalized as an incubator.

• Webedia: Operates at this intersection but typically via owned-and-operated studios rather than legacy IP revitalization.

This initiative introduces a “Hybrid Production Workflow.” Traditional TV production vendors (editors, set designers) must adapt to the speed and aesthetic requirements of YouTube creators, who often serve as their own showrunners and editors. We expect a shift in vendor contracts to accommodate lower-budget, high-velocity pilots (€50k range) that serve as proof-of-concept for potential larger series orders. Success here will validate “Format Adaptation” as a viable service line for digital agencies.

The “Creators Lab” will likely expand to the UK and US markets within 12–18 months if these pilots generate significant engagement. We predict a reverse-migration trend: successful “reinvented” formats will not just stay on YouTube but will be packaged as “new” ready-made formats for linear or SVOD buyers, using the YouTube metrics as proof of audience demand. This effectively turns YouTube into a paid R&D department for major networks.