Cris Abrego

Cris Abrego is Chairman of the Americas at Banijay, the world's largest independent content producer and distributor. Until January 2022, Abrego served as Chairman of Banijay Americas, and President and CEO of Endemol Shine Holdings. In his current role, he leads all acquisitions and new business ventures across North and South America for Banijay.

Abrego first joined Endemol Shine North America as co-CEO in 2014. Elevated to CEO, Endemol Shine North America and Chairman, Endemol Shine Americas in 2016, Abrego's areas of oversight expanded when Banijay acquired Endemol Shine Group in 2020. As co-founder and CEO of 51 Minds Entertainment in 2003, Abrego pioneered the then new celeb-reality genre of unscripted television with shows like The Surreal Life. He followed the success of The Surreal Life with a string of celeb-reality hits, growing the unscripted studio from its boutique beginnings into an industry heavyweight that produced more than $100 million a year in content. At its height, 51 Minds Entertainment was producing more than 150 hours of programming a year for VH1 alone, eventually selling to Endemol in 2008.

Abrego began his career at one of the Banijay Americas studios that he oversees today, Bunim/Murray Productions, where he worked on unscripted hits The Real World and Road Rules.

Abrego serves as Chair of the Television Academy Foundation, the charitable pro-social arm of the Television Academy, and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Television Academy.

updated 2.7.23