Banijay’s Marco Bassetti says Europe’s streamer fight should be about who owns the shows
At Rome’s MIA market, the Banijay Entertainment chief urged European producers to seek intellectual-property rights and better rewards for their work with studios and streamers.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti urged European producers to seek better terms from U.S. studios and streamers at Rome’s MIA market, Variety reported on October 19. His argument: investment in local shows means less to producers if they cannot keep rights to what they create.
“Who invests in creativity? It’s us independent producers,” Bassetti said during a discussion with Italian producer Marco Chimenz, according to Variety. He called for studios and streamers to provide “rewards for creativity” through producer ownership of intellectual property.
Why Bassetti wants rights at the centre of negotiations
Bassetti said the debate in Brussels over investment quotas was “entirely pointless” compared with the question of who benefits from a production after it is made. Variety identified the rules at issue as Europe’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which requires foreign streaming services to invest a portion of revenue in local productions while leaving implementation to individual countries.
His concern is the deal a producer gets once that investment arrives. If streamers treat production companies as service providers, Bassetti argued, creators lose an incentive to work with them. He said retaining ownership was extremely difficult in continental Europe, although he saw some movement on release windows, the order in which a show reaches different platforms.
Bassetti contrasted those arrangements with his experience working for TV networks, especially in England. There, he said, he retains intellectual-property ownership and rights to a series can revert to him after three years. That gives the producer a continuing stake in a show rather than only payment for making it, in his account.
What the Banijay chief is asking for
Bassetti described the issue as recognition and compensation for the creativity independent producers finance. He said studios and streamers still had overall control of rights, despite the limited shift he sees in release windows. His remarks set out the terms he wants producers to pursue; Variety did not report a new agreement or change to the European rules.
Bassetti leads Banijay Entertainment, a role the company confirmed in an August 2026 announcement about its UK leadership. His appeal at MIA was directed at European producers negotiating with the buyers and platforms that commission their work.
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Sources and context
- Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti Urges European Producers to Fight for Better Terms of Trade With Hollywood: Studios and Streamers Should Provide ‘Rewards for Creativity’Variety
- Banijay Entertainment confirms Patrick Holland as Executive Chairman and CEO of Banijay UKBanijay
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.