French groups Banijay and Mediawan are interested in Hollywood studio Lionsgate

The two French audiovisual giants are considering the acquisition of the studio behind The Hunger Games and John Wick. An operation that could reshuffle the cards between Europe and Hollywood.

Lionsgate Studios, owner of the franchises Hunger Games And John Wickarouses the interest of two French heavyweights: Banijay and Mediawan.

According to Reuters, the two groups are studying the possibility of buying the American studio. On the other hand, Canal+ would not be one of the contenders.

Valued at around $3.8 billion, Lionsgate has retained an investment bank to review the various approaches received. However, the discussions remain confidential and there is no guarantee that they will lead to a sale. The studio could ultimately choose to remain independent.

The main obstacle is financial. According to LSEG data cited by Reuters, Lionsgate is now valued at nearly 26 times its expected pre-tax profit, a significantly higher multiple than other Hollywood studios. According to several sources, certain takeover candidates have already given up in the face of the gap between shareholders’ expectations and the price they were prepared to pay.

If the operation materializes, Banijay or Mediawan would get their hands on one of the most coveted catalogs in Hollywood, which notably includes franchises Hunger Games, John Wick, Saw And Twilight.

Founded at the end of 2015 by producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, banker Matthieu Pigasse and Free founder Xavier Niel, Mediawan has established itself in a few years as one of the main European audiovisual groups thanks to an ambitious acquisition strategy. Getting its hands on Lionsgate would be a major change of scale and would significantly strengthen its presence in the United States.

For its part, Banijay, founded by Stéphane Courbit and of which Cyril Hanouna is a shareholder, has become the first independent television producer in the world. The group is present in around twenty countries and achieves nearly 3 billion euros in turnover, with a catalog including in particular Koh Lanta, Fort Boyard, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders or even Black Mirror.

It now remains to be seen whether one of these two French champions will agree to align with Lionsgate’s financial demands. For the moment, the discussions are only at a preliminary stage…