The purchase of the world rights to Stop The Train, created by Squeezie and Théodore Bonnet, by Banijay Entertainment illustrates a major shift in the entertainment industry.
The purchase of the world rights to Stop The Train, a format imagined by Squeezie and Théodore Bonnet, by Banijay Entertainment illustrates a profound transformation of the entertainment industry. For decades, historic broadcasters held a monopoly on the creation and export of audiovisual formats. Now, digital creators develop their own concepts, test them directly with the public and then attract the interest of large international groups. A development which is gradually reshuffling the cards of power in the media economy.
An industry long dominated by traditional broadcasters
For a long time, the functioning of the audiovisual market was relatively linear. The major channels and production companies imagined shows internally, validated their potential on their national channels and then adapted them internationally. The model was based on a vertical logic in which broadcasters controlled both the creation, distribution and monetization of formats. The talents were above all animators or embodyers in the service of a program designed elsewhere. This system has structured the entertainment industry for decades. Successful formats were developed within powerful audiovisual groups capable of financing productions, ensuring their distribution and organizing their global marketing. Independent creators had little place in this value chain, still largely locked out by historical players.
YouTube has become a global format laboratory
The emergence of digital platforms has profoundly changed this mechanism. Today, creators from YouTube or social networks are themselves developing concepts capable of bringing together millions of spectators without going through traditional channels. Stop The Train is a particularly striking illustration of this. The format was never designed for television, never needed a traditional broadcast slot to exist and established itself directly with the public thanks to the Internet. Its success is not based on institutional validation, but on immediate support from audiences.
This transformation profoundly changes the way in which formats are now identified and valued. Where audiovisual groups historically invested considerable budgets in pilots, studies or audience tests, creators today have a permanent field of experimentation on a global scale. The platforms make it possible to instantly measure reactions, engagement and the virality of a concept. A successful format on YouTube not only demonstrates its ability to generate views; it proves that it is capable of creating a community, of sparking discussions and of being a lasting part of contemporary cultural practices.
A gradual reversal of the balance of power
The acquisition of Stop The Train by Banijay Entertainment reflects a gradual reversal of the balance of power between traditional broadcasters and digital creators. Until a few years ago, the digital world was often seen as a secondary space by the audiovisual industry, more associated with influence or ephemeral entertainment than with the creation of lasting intellectual properties. From now on, creators are no longer simply talents capable of attracting an audience: they become producers of formats in their own right, with a real capacity to create international franchises.
This development is strategic because, in the media economy, value does not reside only in the distribution of content. It lies above all in the ownership of the format, in its capacity to be adapted in different countries, to be available on several platforms and to generate income in the long term. The creators understood this perfectly. Many no longer just seek to develop their personal visibility; they are now building universes, entertainment mechanics and exploitable concepts well beyond their initial channel or community.
Audiovisual groups are accelerating their transformation
Faced with this development, large audiovisual groups have no other choice but to adapt. Some are still trying to reproduce models of the past by simply adapting their programs to the codes of social networks. But the most advanced players have already understood that innovation no longer comes exclusively from traditional structures. It also arises from platforms, digital uses and creators capable of instinctively understanding the new expectations of audiences.
This is what makes Banijay Entertainment’s approach particularly interesting. The group is not limited to acquiring already popular formats; it also seeks to collaborate with creators and co-produce new concepts. This partnership logic becomes essential in an environment where the boundaries between television, streaming, social networks and video platforms are increasingly blurred. New uses are now being built in a hybrid ecosystem where traditional broadcasters and independent creators have an interest in moving forward together rather than in opposition.
Towards a hybrid model of entertainment
The future of entertainment will probably rest on this complementarity. Digital creators bring a capacity for innovation, proximity to communities and a detailed understanding of attention mechanisms. The large audiovisual groups have considerable production, distribution and internationalization power. Together, they are participating in the emergence of a new model in which formats can be born on the Internet before becoming global references.
The purchase of Stop The Train therefore goes far beyond the simple framework of an audiovisual rights operation. It symbolizes a profound change in the media industry, in which creators are gradually becoming the new studios of tomorrow.
