International breakers: Romain Bessi, CEO of Newen Studios, talks about increasing global ambitions and creative synergies within the group

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we focus on top executives and companies outside of the United States that are improving the offshore market. This week we speak to Romain Bess, CEO of the French band Newen Studios. The company that produces AllyThe first original in English and French for Apple TV +, reinforces its global ambitions and guides Bess towards a global strategy.

When French media giant TF1 Group tried to take full control Versailles Producer Newen Studios in 2017, a few years earlier, after acquiring a 70% stake, knew that the company needed to outsource an executive who would transform a French-oriented company into an international operation capable of meeting the requirements. ever changing content market demands. . A passage to Roman Bessie.

The acclaimed Bess just premiered on Studiocanal for a decade, which was considered a huge success for the Vivendi-owned Canal Plus group at the time. As COO, Bessie was behind the pan-European giant’s major deals, including a € 150 million ($ 164 million) financing deal with Anton Capital Entertainment, as well as the acquisition of German firm Tandem Communications and its stake. to the 3D company. wave n. . These deals were crucial in transforming the French-oriented company into an international behemoth including France, the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, which it eventually transformed into. paddington In a billion dollar global franchise.

“It was pretty clear that TF1 wanted me to do something like this,” Bessie told Deadline in a rare interview from her Paris office. “The stakes here are different in the sense that Newen is a pure production player diversified in terms of content. This is very important to us. “

Since Bess joined Newen in 2018, the company has gone from a courage-oriented, drama-based public service content creator to expanding to eight countries with over 40 labels, including: Newen France in France ; Newen Connect (its distribution group) and TF1 Studio in France and the UK; Reel One in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States; iZen in Spain and the UK; De Mansen in Belgium; Tuvalu in the Netherlands; Blue Spirit in France and Canada; Ringside Studios in the UK; And Flare Film in Germany.

The company is fast becoming one of the most dynamic players in the global content game with a diverse mix of genres and talents. It produces series such as Vincent Cassell and Eva Green Thriller AllyThe first English and French original of Apple TV +, an eight-episode historical drama Maria Antonietta of departure Favorite Writer Deborah Davis for Canal Plus in France and her German thriller funeral of a dogThe audience and criticism based on Thomas Pletzinger’s novel of the same name have been well deserved.

Newan is also a strong actor in the European soap opera genre, which makes Bess “very proud” of French soap operas. Home Ice Tout It offers very good ratings on the TF1 in the French and Belgian series Lisa Launch at VTM Belgium earlier this year.

Bess, who took over as CEO of Newen in January, has always seen opportunities beyond local borders. Born to parents who worked in the public entertainment industry, Bessie began her career at Ernst & Young after graduating from the prestigious Neoma Business School in France. There you were attracted to positions in the audiovisual sector.

He joined the Canal Plus Group in 1997 to work as General Manager of the pay TV channel Canal + before being appointed CFO of Sport +, where he oversaw international negotiations on sports rights. After becoming CFO of Canal + Nordic in Sweden, Canal + SA and Canal + Group edition, he moved to Studiocanal in 2007, where he helped the company grow internationally. In 2017 he hired TF1 for a year before starting to build Newen International Qualifications and diversify its products.

Bess is clearly the implementer: in 2021, after acquiring a majority stake in German production company Flare Films and acquiring Spanish company iZen, operations outside of France accounted for 47% of Newton’s total revenue.

For the unapproachable and enthusiastic internationalist, the strategy is simple: partner with like-minded companies in key European markets that Newen can support through a rich library of intellectual property, financial muscle and an experienced team, while diversifying the portfolio. by Newen.

“We are looking to provide companies with additional tools that allow them to do things they could not have done before,” said Bessie of the label acquisition and partnership strategy. “But the goal, of course, is to make sure they can also continue what they could have done before.”

This is a very organic approach that is not specific in terms of structures for their companies. Bess points out that Newen is affordable enough to be open to any type of structure, be it majority, minority, or entire company acquisitions. Newen supports these companies when they need it through business or law or Newen Connect.

“It is more than believing that a person thinks that together we can do something greater than they could independently do, and if a person truly believes in it, then they are finding a structure that suits their interests.”

Although the goal was to create a pan-European production center, Newan didn’t give in to this approach when in 2019 he took over the majority stake in Tom Berry’s Reel One, a Canadian boss beyond the series. Detective McLean. Newen saw a great opportunity to grow English TV movie submission and use European IP addresses in the US, Canada and the UK as Reel One generated 90% of its revenue outside of Canada in that moment.

“It was an interesting model for us because they were making English-language films that you would see on Lifetime in the US or TF1 in France,” he said. “It was an opportunity to truly diversify our portfolio.

After the deal, Reel One tripled its production business and worked on Newen’s Belgian costume with De Mensen on an English remake of the drama series. chocolate team (Tigat with chocolate). Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Networks, acquired a 35% stake in the company last year.

For its production team, Newen offers an extensive library of over 6,000 hours and 1,000 films, giving them access to a wide range of IPs. In 2020, Newen hired Rodolfo Boet, Bess’s former colleague at Studiocanal, to lead its distribution operations and combine the businesses of Newen Connect and TF1 Studio. Their companies, Bess says, are regularly updated on formats and films that can be used for local remakes.

Bess describes the creation of opportunities for these creative synergies as a “Schengen approach to content”.

“These are the availability of IP for all, the promotion of joint production, the financing of some gaps for large projects, etc. “Our companies are still independent, but they have the opportunity to do things together if they want to, and we’re trying to help with that.”

Earlier this year, financier Anton increased his investment in New York by 40% to € 50 million ($ 54.5 million). The contract extension came after Anthony’s two-year investment in which Newan supported the OCS. Opera, France TVs / RTBF / ARD at the intersection And VRT / Art’s ᲓLack of luggage. Newen’s next documentary on the stylist John Galliano Whitney The new expansion also includes director Kevin McDonald.

“This is a risky business and in a risky business you want to share the risk,” Bess said of the agreement. “We’re talking about distribution and investment sharing, and of course it’s profit sharing too, but Anthony is the keeper. They do not interfere creatively and in the selection of contents “.

Moving forward, Bess says the next steps are to move to Italy and further expand in Scandinavia (the company currently only operates in Denmark). So, she said, it’s more and more about growing in existing areas.

“Trends in recent years have shown that local is truly a new international,” he said, adding that the current climate is “very strong for local producers”.

“Local players want local content that makes sense for local regions, but platforms now also want local content,” he said. “There are now a lot more manufacturers on the market, which makes it a bit difficult, but it’s a growing and ever-changing market. Interestingly, streamers want local content, but most of them have local organizations. So now you are talking about a French project with a French man in the French market and they are working on a global player.

However, his main concern is the health of the public sector and mainstream broadcasters, which he sees as an integral part of broadcasting diverse and creative stories.

“We don’t want all traditional players to disappear,” he says. “I know this is a challenge and they continue to struggle and find new ways to reach their audience, but of course, territory by territory, they don’t have the power that global players have. So, as a local actor, I want to make sure I continue to work with public service for ten years, as well as with Netflix and Amazon around the world. This is really the key to maintaining this competition, which is very important for creativity, because it opens up different opportunities for producers. “

And he adds: “There is no ‘European way of doing things’, but there is a common culture”. Even if we speak English, that’s not enough. We have to adapt to different cultures and respect different cultures for everything to work. This is not a French or English way of doing things, it is an attempt to find a middle ground, which is really important ”.

This week’s edition of Deadline’s International Breakers features Guillotine Vodka.