Behind Brand Entertainment is a series of interviews with producers, studios, distributors and brand leaders exploring how brands and the entertainment industry are collaborating to develop, fund and scale premium content.
This week, we feature Carlotta Rossi-Spencer, Global Head of Branded Entertainment Business Development at Banijay Entertainment.
“If it looks like a long ad, it won’t travel.”
That’s how Carlotta Rossi Spencer, Global Head of Branded Entertainment Business Development at Banijay Entertainment, describes the biggest challenge facing brand-funded shows with international ambitions.
In a market where tightening commissioning budgets are pushing producers and broadcasters toward alternative financing models, the real question is no longer whether brands can fund content, but whether that content can become genuine, travelable IP. For Rossi Spencer, the answer is yes. But only if Branded Entertainment is developed with the same format discipline as any other global franchise.
Travel Starts with Format DNA
At Banijay Entertainment, branded projects are assessed through the same lens as any other non-scripted format. “We are entertainers, we’re not in the advertising business,” Rossi Spencer says. “Regardless of the fact it’s in collaboration with a brand; the format still needs to work.”
One example is Hairstyle – The Talent Show with Alfaparf – a hairstyling competition originating in Spain that expanded into five territories. Its scalability had less to do with sponsorship and everything to do with clear competition beats and repeatable structure.
The same logic applies to branded extensions of established IP. In Germany, a Twitch-streamed, creator edition of Big Brother – Big Brother Knossi Edition – worked because the underlying format mechanics were already globally proven.
In Italy, Maître Chocolatier, a chocolate-creation competition developed with Lindt follows familiar talent show rhythms, as does Mistura Beirão – a mixology competition format created in partnership with premium Portuguese liqueur Licor Beirão. And in the UK, the revival of Secret Life of 5 Year Olds demonstrated how a catalogue format can re-emerge with brand-backing without losing its format integrity.
“These are the ones that work best,” Rossi Spencer explains, pointing to factual entertainment, cooking competitions, and transformation formats. Universal skills. Clear jeopardy. Repeatable beats. Her advice is simple: “Stick to the format. Stick to very recognisable beats.”
What Stops a Branded Format from Travelling?
If scalability starts with format DNA, it can just as easily be undermined by integration choices. “If it’s too much brand, too much product placement, if it looks like a long ad, then it won’t travel,” Rossi Spencer says. International buyers need flexibility. If a format cannot be reversioned without a specific sponsor, its export value drops dramatically.
Over-localisation presents another barrier. “If it’s a documentary about a very local story, then you can’t really push it to other territories.” Travelable IP requires modularity – the ability to adapt casting, tone and cultural nuance while preserving core mechanics. “This is something we have unrivalled success in, with 30 formats produced in 3+ territories – from MasterChef to Big Brother”, Rossi Spencer adds. In short, the show must survive without the original brand attached. If removing the sponsor breaks the format, it was never true IP.
Rights and Catalogue Strategy
From a protection standpoint, branded formats are treated like any other format within Banijay Entertainment’s ecosystem. “For us, it’s the same as the protection of a format,” Rossi Spencer notes. Once aired, the show enters the IP and catalogue structure.
While brands may negotiate certain rights, Banijay Entertainment does not relinquish 100% of the IP. Retaining catalogue inclusion strengthens long-term value, especially when looking at secondary territories and windowing strategies.
For distributors, that alignment is key: a branded show that sits comfortably within a broader format portfolio is far easier to position internationally.
The Strategic Shift
Perhaps the most significant evolution is strategic rather than creative. Brands increasingly understand that long-form entertainment functions differently from a 30-second campaign.
“The complete impact will be visible after a year”, Rossi Spencer says, describing the long-tail impact of series-based collaborations. That longevity makes repeatable formats more attractive than one-off branded specials.
For the industry, the implication is clear: Branded Entertainment becomes travelable IP when it is developed with format logic first, sponsor logic second. As Rossi Spencer puts it: “It’s always about the format at the end of the day.” And in a global market built on adaptable ideas, that principle remains unchanged – regardless of who is funding the show.
