MAM
Banijay eyes live events as major growth driver beyond TV
IP like ‘Black Mirror’ set for immersive experiences in 2026, gaming division powers profitability.
MUMBAI: Banijay is turning screens into stages because when your IP is this golden, even the live crowd wants an encore. Banijay, the French entertainment group, on Thursday flagged live events and franchise extensions as key growth engines for 2026 and beyond, ahead of its planned merger with All3Media. CEO François Riahi told reporters that the company’s strongest content IP is increasingly generating value off-screen, pointing to the upcoming immersive live experiences based on ‘Black Mirror’ in 2026 as a prime example.
“We have a gold mine that we’re not fully exploiting,” Riahi said. He cited the intense bidding war between Paramount and Netflix for Warner’s portfolio as proof of how fundamental IP has become in today’s entertainment landscape. “That gives you an idea of how essential IP is today,” he added.
On the financial front, Banijay’s production consolidated revenue edged up 0.4 per cent excluding currency effects to €3.29 billion in 2025. Its online betting division led by Betclic and bolstered by the recent Tipico acquisition grew 10.2 per cent to €1.59 billion, accounting for roughly one-third of group revenue but nearly half of profitability. Combined EBITDA rose 8.6 per cent to €961 million.
Riahi said the gaming division is poised to benefit in 2026 from major sporting events including the soccer World Cup, with focus on customer acquisition across Betclic and Tipico.
Banijay will provide detailed mid-term financial guidance, incorporating recent acquisitions, during its strategic update on 26 March 2026.
In an industry where stories no longer end at the credits, Banijay isn’t just producing content, it’s turning franchises into full-spectrum entertainment empires, one live experience and one bet at a time.
MAM
Ember launches Everyday Cast Iron campaign
New film celebrates real kitchens and reimagines cast iron for modern Indian homes.
MUMBAI: Ember just turned cast iron into everyday iron because when your cookware feels like a lifelong friend instead of a weekend chore, even the tawa starts cheering. Ember, the premium kitchenware brand known for shaking up cookware norms, has rolled out its new visual storytelling campaign ‘Everyday Cast Iron’ this Women’s Day. The campaign steps away from polished show kitchens and dives straight into real Indian homes, capturing how cooking actually happens planned one day, spontaneous the next, always deeply personal.
Shot entirely in authentic kitchens, the films feature individuals with distinct culinary lives, food photographer and stylist Sanskriti Bist, Copper & Cloves founder Sarah Nicole Edwards, culinary professional chef Taiyaba Ali, artisanal cheese makers Ben and Kat of Nari & Kage, and home cook Jayati Jain. Their varied routines highlight that cast iron should adapt to real life, not the other way around.
Ember co-founder & CMO Himanshi Tandon said, “Cast iron is more than cookware, it carries familiarity and emotion for many people. But switching to it can sometimes feel like committing to a harder journey. Our attempt has been to make that journey easier by reimagining the category inside real homes, with real users and their everyday concerns in mind.”
Ember, chief culinary & innovation officer chef Saransh Goila added, “We spent time in real homes and kitchens to understand how people actually cook, clean, and take care of their cookware. From there, we went through multiple rounds of testing and iteration to engineer solutions that make cast iron easier to use while also improving consistency.”
The campaign introduces Ember’s dual cast iron approach, traditional pre-seasoned cast iron for classic performance and durability, and the proprietary TitaniumClad cast iron designed to address common maintenance concerns.
Ember CEO Siddharth Gadodia noted, “This category has existed for hundreds of years, but behaviour around it hasn’t evolved. Our research showed that while many households own cast iron cookware, regular usage remains limited. That gap between ownership and everyday adoption represents a significant opportunity.”
The Everyday Cast Iron collection is now available on the Ember website and Amazon. In a kitchen world that often demands perfection, Ember quietly reminds us that the most beautiful meals are the ones cooked with whatever time, mood and mess the day brings cast iron simply makes them better.
