Playtech has fortified its partnership with the former Endemol Shine, Banijay Brands after being granted exclusive rights to use The Million Dollar Drop as part of its live casino offering in the United States – currently in Michigan and New Jersey, as well as retaining the right to Deal or No Deal Bingo for another five years.
The Million Dollar Drop is known in international markets simply as “The Money Drop” and is one of a number of branded products Playtech uses to enhance its offering with consumer-familiar products.
Playtech Live maintains a complete suite of game show oriented social online live dealer assisted real money gambling games and The Money Drop Live is one of its best-performing products – players find it engaging and entertaining and the brand is recognized around the world.
Banijay Group completed the acquisition of the iconic Endemol Shine in July 2020. Endemol Shine Group B.V. was a production and distribution company based in Holland with offices in the UK and elsewhere that provided scripted and non-scripted content. Some of the most well-known assets included Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, The Money Drop, Fear Factor, The Voice, MasterChef, Your Face Sounds Familiar, Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror, Humans, Grantchester, and Tin Star.
World’s Largest Content Producer and Distributor
Banijay is now the world’s largest content distributor and producer. It was launched in 2008, is based in Paris, France, and operates under the direction of CEO, Marco Bassetti.
Commercial director of gaming and gambling at Banijay, Lex Scott said: “Deal or No Deal and The Money Drop are iconic shows with strong fanbases, and we are delighted to see the brands grow into new product verticals.
“We are thrilled to be extending our partnership with Playtech, as an industry-leading supplier, it is well-placed to expand The Money Drop brand into the US market.”
Playtech has recently taken a push into more markets with its live casino content, including Switzerland and the United States, and has found welcoming customers across demographics. Pioneers in the genre with augmented reality and mixed reality games, the company may not have been aggressive enough with marketing and deployment and saw Evolution virtually takeover the vertical in recent years. This was met by dozens of pop-ups and serious contender studios and now Playtech is finding its place again – exclusive deals in US-regulated online markets are helping as well.
The Money Drop brand will also be used in the company’s international RNG animated bingo products.
Localizing Content
Sasha Uman, live business development director at Playtech stated:
“It is core to our strategy and growth in the US that Playtech Live delivers the highest levels of live gaming experiences, and through partnering with Banijay we are bringing the most engaging and innovative products, technologies and brands to new markets and audiences.
“The Money Drop Live offers an incredible gaming experience and we cannot wait to introduce the localized Million Dollar Drop brand to our audiences in the US, and strengthen our position as a global leader in live gaming entertainment.”
Source: Playtech Strengthens Banijay Partnership, GamingAmericas, January 20, 2022
