Banijay Entertainment has picked up the international rights to breakout streaming format “All Star Hide and Seek,” underscoring the company’s broader push into creator-led entertainment.
Acquired from Finland’s Rabbit Films,” All Star Hide and Seek” launched on local streamer Ruuti+ in 2024 under the title “Roni Bäck: Finland’s Biggest Hide and Seek,” with a second season rolling out on the platform in October.
The format was created by Finnish social media star Roni Bäck, one of the country’s most influential online creators. The concept evolved from his long-running YouTube hide-and-seek videos and has since translated into a streaming hit.
“All Star Hide and Seek” blends social video and premium unscripted production, bringing together top influencers and TV personalities who hide across large-scale real-world locations, from amusement parks to cultural landmarks, while a host deploys increasingly inventive tactics to track them down. Episodes run at a YouTube-style pace in 22-minute installments tailored for streaming audiences, building toward a cash-prize finale.
Helen Greatorex, head of format acquisitions at Banijay Entertainment, said the format’s creator roots are key to its appeal. “This format authentically began in the creator community and went on to prove its strength on streaming,” she said, adding that Banijay will adapt the concept “to suit all budgets,” while leveraging real-world locations and “gripping storytelling.” By pairing creators with celebrities, she said, the company is “bridging two worlds” to deliver a format designed for primetime with built-in viral potential.
Rabbit Films VP international Samantha Ferguson emphasized the format’s cost-efficient ambition. “With ‘All Star Hide and Seek’ we are opening the doors to some of the world’s most spectacular locations,” she said, noting that by partnering with existing entertainment venues, the show can deliver cinematic scale “at a fraction of costs.” She added that the format’s move “from YouTube to primetime, and now across multiple territories” is resonating with broadcasters seeking event television without event-level budgets.
The title joins Banijay Entertainment’s growing slate of premium third-party formats, which includes cult board-game adaptation “Werewolves,” global franchise “Ninja Warrior” from TBS, musical competition “100” from “The Masked Singer” creator Park Wonwoo of Ditum Korea alongside ABC Japan and Empire of Arkadia, Pixcom International’s autism-focused culinary format “Atypical Critics,” and Channel 4 knitting competition “The Game of Wool” from Hello Halo.
Recent initiatives in the creator-led entertainment space include the launch of Creators Lab with YouTube, digital-first format “Let’s Play Ball” — now in development in the UK and U.S. and commissioned for a second season in the Netherlands — talent partnerships such as Big Brother Knossi and MasterChef Creators, and the recent unveiling of FCF, the Netherlands’ first officially registered football club created by influencers.