Balich Wonder Studio plants flags in New York, LA and Mexico City
The Banijay-owned live events producer is expanding after a run that included World Cup and Olympic ceremonies.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Balich Wonder Studio, the company behind six FIFA World Cup ceremonies, is opening new offices in New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City as it pushes further into North America and Mexico.
The Milan-based live entertainment producer is owned by Banijay and led by creative director and executive producer Marco Balich. According to the company, the expansion follows a busy stretch that included Sunday’s FIFA World Cup closing ceremony.
Balich has worked on 17 Olympic ceremonies, according to the studio, along with a slate of other international events across sports and culture.
A bigger map for live spectacle
With the new offices, Balich Wonder Studio said its network now includes hubs in New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Dubai, Riyadh and Shanghai.
The company described each location as tied to a key growth market for live entertainment, sports and intellectual property development.
The move comes after what the studio called a peak period across 2025 and 2026. In addition to the World Cup, Balich Wonder Studio said it handled the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the UEFA Champions League final kick-off show and the preamble to the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco.
In a statement, the company said that run had strengthened its position as a major creator of cultural events watched by audiences around the world.
Banijay and RedBird IMI loom large
The expansion lands soon after Banijay Entertainment completed its $8 billion merger with All3Media, which was owned by RedBird IMI. The companies have described the combined group as the world’s largest independent production company.
Balich Wonder Studio said it expects to draw on Banijay Entertainment’s global content and digital operations, as well as RedBird IMI’s experience in sport, media and investment.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti said in the statement that Banijay has become “a global media and entertainment powerhouse built on creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, outstanding talent, and international reach.”
Bassetti said Balich Wonder Studio has become a trusted live-experience producer for major sports rights holders. He added that combining Banijay’s content and live-event work with RedBird IMI’s strengths in media, sport and investment creates a chance to build “a global platform capable of transforming the world’s biggest live moments far beyond the events themselves.”
Jeff Zucker, CEO of RedBird IMI and chairman of Banijay Entertainment, also tied the office openings to the newly completed merger.
“It’s so exciting to see the expansion of Balich Wonder Studio into North America just as we have competed the merger of Banijay and All3Media,” Zucker said in the statement.
Zucker said growing in North America and live production are two strategic priorities for the group, adding that he was pleased the company could move quickly on both.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.