Banijay rebrands Zodiak Rights

France’s Banijay Group has rebranded its sales arm, Zodiak Rights, just under a year after the Banijay-Zodiak Media merger.

Banijay Rights was revealed this morning in Europe, a day before the NATPE Miami event begins and more than two months ahead of MIPTV in Cannes.

Zodiak Rights was the name adopted after Zodiak and Banijay merged, with the Banijay International brand disappearing amid a series of personnel changes that saw Tim Mutimer become CEO of the sales unit, as TBI revealed last year.

Zodiak Rights had previously replaced RDF Rights, following the 2010 merger of European TV conglom Zodiak and UK-based producer RDF Media.

Mutimer, now chief exec of Banijay Rights, today issued TBI a statement outlining the rationale behind the branding exercise. “I am very pleased to confirm that the distribution arm of Banijay Group has been renamed Banijay Rights,” he said.

“Having moved the Banijay International business into Zodiak Rights, we decided that in rebranding to Banijay we should retain the ‘Rights’ element in our name as this best describes our activities and brings a sense of continuity from the well-regarded and successful RDF Rights and Zodiak Rights businesses.

“Banijay has 61 production entities in 16 territories, and we’re delighted that Banijay Rights represents programming from all of these companies, as well as content from a wide range of third party producers.”

Banijay Rights’ catalogue includes Versailles, The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, Temptation Island, Popstars, Beat Your Host, 71 Degrees North, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Fort Boyard, Making of the Mob, Underbelly and Wife Swap.