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Mediawan Rights, the commercial arm of the European media powerhouse, is set to expand its scope with the launch of a sales division dedicated to light entertainment programming. Estelle Bodén, an industry veteran, has been appointed head of distribution of this newly-created unit.
Bodén will report to Valérie Vleeschhouwer, managing director of Mediawan Rights, and will be in charge of developing and structuring this new initiative.
Boasting 25 years of experience, the executive previously worked at Strix Television, the outfit behind hit reality TV formats such as “The Farm” and “The Bar.” In 2004, Bodén co-founded Friday TV whose portfolio included factual formats around the world, notably “Clash of the Choirs,” “Single Moms” and “Minute to Win It” which aired on NBC in the U.S. and traveled to more than 50 territories. She also co-created the Swedish company Elk Entertainment, which was acquired by ITV Studios in 2017.
Under Vleeschhouwer’s leadership, Mediawan Rights has been handling sales for a wide range of programming, from fiction to documentaries and youth shows. These titles are either third-party acquisitions or series produced by banners owned by Mediawan, the company founded by Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse in 2015.
“I’m very happy to be welcoming Estelle within Mediawan Rights. Her expertise represents a undeniable asset for the creation of this branch and the strategic development of this activity,” said Vleeschhouwer, who has also been building Mediawan Right’s roster of premium documentaries through pick ups and partnerships.
Bodén said she “looked forward to spearheading this new division and building synergies with other members of the Mediawan Rights team, as well as forging ties with third-party producers.”