Marco Balsamo has taken over as president and CEO of French animation studio TeamTO and unveiled a new senior leadership structure, following the company’s acquisition by Riva Studios last December.
February 18, 2025 By Neil Batey
Marco Balsamo has taken over as president and CEO of French animation studio TeamTO and unveiled a new senior leadership structure, following the company’s acquisition by Riva Studios last December.
The Italian American filmmaker, who is the co-founder of Miami-based Riva Studios, will now oversee TeamTO’s operations. He will balance executive and creative responsibilities while positioning the studio for future growth in the challenged animation sector.
One of Balsamo’s objectives is to diversify TeamTO’s production slate. Beyond his executive role, he will also take on expanded creative responsibilities, serving as a showrunner, writer and director across multiple projects.
Balsamo said: “This studio has built a remarkable legacy, and we’re committed to ensuring its long-term success.
“We also want to expand our reach to international partners, strengthen our presence in the global animation industry and establish TeamTO as a leader in both original content and premium production services.”
Paris-headquartered TeamTO’s future seemed a lot less assured last September when the ailing outfit entered receivership. As reported by C21, the company had experienced serious financial troubles following rapid expansion since 2019.
TeamTO, founded in 2005 by president and CEO Guillaume Hellouin alongside Corinne Kouper, Caroline Souris and Marie-Pierre Journet, put its troubles down to “unforeseen market challenges in the animation industry over the past two years.”
The legal documents associated with the sale referenced operational cash flow issues caused by factors such as the US writers and actors’ strike as well as a dispute with an undisclosed international distributor, described as a “key partner” of TeamTO.
It also states complications were caused by TeamTO’s status changing from a small or medium-sized enterprise to an intermediate-sized one, which affected its tax credits and subsidies.
TeamTO’s struggles are far from unique in the French animation space, where cancelled projects and a sudden reduction in orders from the US streamers have rocked the world-renowned sector.
Riva Studios, which also has a presence in New York, Rome and South-east Asia, tabled a late bid to buy TeamTO in October. The €2.6m (US$2.7m) offer was accepted and subsequently approved by the Paris Commercial Court in early December.
Riva was co-founded by Balsamo and Tara Sibel Demren in 2022 as a prodco focused on developing, co-financing and producing both animation and live-action content. It claims to have retained 90% of TeamTO’s studio employees since the takeover.
A new management structure sees continued roles for long-serving executives Clélia Santi (head of studios, Paris), Carole Toledo (head of studios, Valence), Jean-Baptiste Spieser (chief technology officer), Olivier Plazas (art director), and Fanny Weber (executive producer).
Other key roles see Demren and Jay Oliva named executive producers and Balsamo take on the additional title of producer, with further creative appointments to be announced soon.
TeamTO, which is known for animated series such as Angelo Rules and Jade Armor, will expand its slate under the new leadership structure. The studio will now take on original IPs from Riva’s portfolio and expand its reach into adult animation and 2D projects.
Talking about Riva’s acquisition of TeamTo, Balsamo said: “The way this deal came together—so serendipitously, so quickly—still feels surreal.
“In an industry where animation studios are struggling, talented animators are being laid off, and decades of work are at risk of vanishing, we couldn’t let a studio with TeamTO’s pedigree be lost.
“We’ve always championed the independent spirit of filmmaking, and TeamTO embodies that same spirit. I couldn’t ask for a better team with whom to embark on this adventure.”