Bear Grylls launches production company with Banijay

Bear Grylls and longtime producer Delbert Shoopman have announced a new production company The Natural Studios as part of the Banijay Group.

The new prodco will be a global go-to adventure TV / Film production studio across all platforms, with Grylls and Shoopman as co-CEOs.

Backed and funded by Banijay Group, their ‘Home of Adventure’ company will span both non-scripted and scripted content. The current slate of shows includes Hostile Planet (Nat Geo), Eco-Challenge (Amazon), Running Wild with Bear Grylls (Nat Geo), You vs Wild (Netflix) and The Island (C4).

“It has been such a journey for Delbert and I to get to the stage where we can build out our adventure shows under our own Studio. We stand on the shoulders of many giants. The ACF Investment Bank team have been incredible guides through the process – at its heart this is about building the ultimate home of adventure programming worldwide,” saud Grylls.

“The Natural Studios will be providing a home for the best adventure talent to help them create shows with us that inspire and move people to go for it in their lives and to never give up.”

Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay Group comments: “In a crowded marketplace, with many new players, only strong talents can cut through and as the face of adventure globally, Bear does just this. Both he and Del bring an incredibly strong portfolio and track record in this space and fit harmoniously with our existing catalogue of world-class adventure entertainment brands.

“Further bolstering our strong expertise in the adventure field, and instantly building our audiences worldwide, The Natural Studios was the perfect fit for us and supports our organic growth strategy internationally. Already open for business, we are confident the new label has a strong path ahead and we look forward to collaborating on building an even bigger following for their brands across the globe.”