The first edition of the festival featured Banijay’s Marco Bassetti and The Sidemen’s Jason Schwarzenberger discussing the topic of “Building a Powerhouse”

Jason Schwarzenberger (left) and Marco Bassetti during the panel

On 4 June, SXSW London hosted a panel titled “Building a Powerhouse”, which consisted of a conversation between Marco Bassetti, CEO of Banijay Group, one of the biggest content production companies in the world, and Jordan Schwarzenberger, co-founder of Arcade Media, the management company behind Europe’s biggest content creators, The Sidemen, which boasts more than 244 million cross-channel followers and was the third-most-searched term on YouTube globally in 2023.

Bassetti opened the panel by recounting his journey at Banijay, which he joined in 2013 after working at Endemol Shine Group (acquired by Banijay in 2020) in the UK, following his early career as a local entrepreneur and producer. When asked about the future of production, he said he believes the old world and the new world of creators can converge: “There was an interesting analysis that I read this morning at breakfast, which said that 30% of the content watched on YouTube comes from TV – but in a different form, with different editing.”

Schwarzenberger picked up the thread, discussing the blurred lines between roles on YouTube: “I think the future, actually, for The Sidemen and for other creators, is moving more into an executive producer role.” When asked about what differentiates them from other famous YouTube figures, like Mr Beast, he said: “I think that, for The Sidemen, it's the group dynamic that has kept them going for that long, whereas Mr Beast can handle 400 million subscribers on his shoulders only, and it all rests on his face and reputation. [...] The instinct for creators has often been to put their face forward for everything. I think there's a world coming, eventually, that will change things. Why not when Mr Beast produces Mr Beast Studios, and the channel becomes a platform without him? The way he’s built it, he’s not as essential to the channel’s success as one might think. He can definitely have other hosts, and in a way, that might make it even more sellable one day than The Sidemen channel, where it’s all about their friendship, dynamic and humour.”

When asked about the claims that creators no longer need traditional producers like Banijay, Bassetti responded, admitting that he wanted to be provocative: “I can't see premium content coming from a creator yet, but it will happen, for sure, in the future. I can't see big reality shows coming from creators right now, because I don’t see how they could create value or cover the costs. Yes, there are creators making a lot of money on YouTube – like Mr Beast and others – but there’s another ecosystem made up of writers, directors, actors and so on.” Nonetheless, he believes this shift will eventually take place.

He also pointed out that most creators begin on YouTube, a global platform that lays out and controls the rules of engagement – often to their detriment. For example, YouTube might offer a 50/50 revenue split at first but can later change the terms, taking 75% and leaving creators with only 25%. As Bassetti noted, creators are bound to those shifts. In contrast, ecosystems like Amazon and Netflix give creators more freedom and control over their IP, allowing them to build value while maintaining ownership and stability. Schwarzenberger agreed, adding: “With YouTube, you’re sort of capped by the content you can make and constantly have to change it to reach new viewers. With Netflix, the approach is editorial – the algorithm can push a product to audiences globally. That ‘Netflix effect’, like with Squid Game, is something that YouTube simply can’t replicate.”

Schwarzenberger suggested that when professionalisation and the expertise of traditional productions fully transfer over to YouTube, it will be “a different world”. He mentioned Dhar Mann Studios, which has recently attracted producers, as an example. Banijay’s CEO replied: “There’s something similar to that in our industry, the traditional one, as well: they’re called mini-drama companies. It all started in China, and now the shows are popular in Europe and the USA, too. It's a mix of free and paid subscription, and their shows are produced at a very low cost, and they’re mostly romantic.”

On the topic of AI, Bassetti expressed both concern and cautious optimism: he fears the potential misuse of AI, but sees value in its ability to reduce production time and costs. “Nowadays, the competition is tough. There are algorithms, and it’s not easy to make the right impact. But content consumption is growing – we have more time to watch than ever before.”

Finally, in response to rumours that Banijay Group was in talks to acquire UK network ITV Studios, Bassetti replied cautiously, unwilling to reveal too much: “We are not buying ITV Studios. You know, in this business, there are only a few big companies, and the truth is that we talk to each other about how we can create more value. And sometimes, bigger rumours are born like that, as in this case.”