Marco Balsamo lays out his plans for TeamTO 2.0

BIG GIG: The new president and CEO discusses his vision for the French studio, which includes a push into new genres and international partnerships.

Friday, October 17, 2025 by Sadhana Bharanidharan

THE BIG GIG: President and CEO of TeamTO

CONCURRENTLY: COO/co-founder of RIVA Studios and Film Launchpad (since 2023)

CREATIVE MIND: Marco Balsamo got his first taste of the entertainment biz as a film extra, but quickly moved up the ranks as a PA, location manager and associate producer. Over the years, he has nurtured both a creative eye and a strong business instinct—even his decade-long tenure as chief creative officer of Indonesia’s MSV Studio came about from a passionate pitch he delivered at MIFA in 2012 for Akira’s Flying Wheelchair, a Miyazaki-style 2D-animated fantasy-adventure film concept he wrote in college about a paralyzed former child soccer prodigy who regains his will to live when a wacky inventor builds him a wheelchair that flies.

Heading up one of France’s leading animation studios isn’t something Balsamo would have predicted he’d be doing a year ago. But RIVA Studios’ last-minute acquisition of TeamTO in December paved the way for him to step into this key leadership role in February—and he’s already planning some big moves.

RENEWED VISION: “Our short-term priority is stability and restoring confidence,” he says of his plans for TeamTO 2.0. The 20-year-old company is buzzing with startup-like energy again for Balsamo, who’s preparing to make a big push into original IPs and high-quality service work, for starters. And to reach wider audiences, he’s eager for TeamTO to produce more teen/YA content and 2D animation.

Expansions are also playing out geographically. In contrast to TeamTO’s past focus on working primarily within France, Balsamo wants to transform the studio into more of an international player—and to that end, he and his team are already in negotiations for a co-pro deal with an Indian partner, he teases.

STRATEGIC PLAYS: Balsamo is bullish about steering a now-stabilized TeamTO to not just survive but thrive in today’s tough TV market. “Buying a distressed asset came with its fair share of surprises,” he admits. “Coming in so quickly with the funding to save and reposition it in a matter of months has been a heavy lift.”

Looking ahead, he’s betting big on video game adaptations (where TeamTO can fuel the storytelling), localization (personalizing TeamTO shows for different regions) and mining the company’s rich animation back catalogue. In addition to his executive role, Balsamo will also continue to be involved as a creator, writer, showrunner and director. On that front, he’s especially excited about TeamTO’s development slate, which includes Akira’s Flying Wheelchair and a preschool series called What’s Up Eesha? that’s in the works with France Télévisions.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen’s Q4 2025 magazine issue.

Kidscreen