Company Launches & Partnerships
MCN Fullscreen has launched a new SVOD service and hired three executives. Martin Keely, previously of MLB Advanced Media, will serve as General Manager of the new service. Randy Ahn, previously a product exec at Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios, be the SVP of Product Strategy and Trent Good, formerly at Netflix and Hulu, will be the service’s SVP of Design.
A+E Networks has taken a stake in the cooking brand Panna. Panna’s subscription app features detailed video recipes by well-known chefs. The two companies will collaborate on FYI: 12 Hacks of Christmas, a series of 45-second interstitials, set to air every night during FYI’s primetime lineup, ending December 24.
Fusion is joining forces with the National Hispanic Foundation of the Arts to start a film scholarship challenge for young multicultural filmmakers and digital journalists. Winners will be awarded a scholarship funding to produce their films (short documentary and fiction film) which will be featured and distributed across Fusion’s various television, digital, and OTT platforms.
CBS Sports Digital has bought 247Sports, a property featuring numerous team-specific sites spanning multiple sports. All 247Sports content will now be incorporated into CBSSports.com‘s assets.
MCN and multi-platform production company AwesomenessTV has signed an SVOD distribution deal with video services provider Vubiquity. The deal will bring numerous AwesomenessTV series, including Fifth Harmony Takeover and Makeup Mythbusters, to the Middle East, Africa, Southeastern Europe, and most of Latin America. The content will be available through Vubiquity SVOD platforms.
Yahoo and NBC Sports Group have renewed and expanded their digital partnership, including Yahoo’s fantasy sports products. The deal brings expanded content including Premier League soccer highlights, NBC Sports Regional Network team reports and Golf Channel content. It also spreads the scope of digital and on-air experiences beyond desktop to mobile and Tumblr.
Screenvision, The No. 2 seller of movie theater ads, has forged a strategic alliance with KAOS Connect, founded by former NCM Fathom Events execs Shelly Maxwell and Dan Diamond. They will be offering movie theaters with non-Hollywood content, such as concerts and Broadway performances, to help fill seats on weekdays when attendance is low.
Film
Pam Kunath has been named the EVP of Content Strategy at Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. She was previously the EVP, General Manager at Screen Gems. Zach McGee has been named the SVP of Business Affairs at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. He was previously the SVP and Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Miramax.
TV
Graham Elliot, a judge on Fox’s MasterChef since its launch back in 2010, says Season 6 will be his last. Season 6 of the cooking competition wrapped in September and was renewed in July for a seventh.
Carolyn Bernstein will be on board as the EVP, Head of Global Scripted Development and Production at National Geographic Channel starting January 4. She was formerly an executive at Endemol Shine. Bernstein will be NatGeo’s first dedicated scripted executive for the cable network, to be based in Los Angeles.
Julie Holland has been promoted to VP Communications at Endemol Shine North America. In her new role, Holland oversees all unscripted communications efforts for the company, as well as PR initiatives surrounding its brand, integration, commercial partnerships and ancillary products group. Holland previously led consumer publicity campaigns for several top unscripted programs at Endemol.
Nate Kirtman, the SVP of Corporate PR for NBC Entertainment has left the company and is now pursuing other opportunities.
Patrice Baillargeon has been named the VP of Unscripted Content at Project 10 Productions. She was previously the Partner, Director, Executive Producer at The Order Productions.
Mark Burnett has been named as the President of Television & Digital Group at MGM. He was previously the CEO of United Artists Media Group. MGM bought the remaining 45% interest that Burnett and Hearst Corp held in United Artists Media Group in deals valued at $233 million. Burnett’s and Roma Downey’s interests in United Artists Media Group will be absorbed under the MGM Television Group umbrella. Roma Khanna, previously the President of Television Group & Digital at MGM, is leaving the company.
Michael Connolly has been named the Head of Television at Vertigo Entertainment. He was previously the Principal at Mad Hatter Entertainment. Melissa Lora has been hired as a Coordinator in the Television department at Vertigo Entertainment. She was previously the Executive Assistant at Bad Robot Productions.
Kristin Martini has been upped from Manager of Production & Development to the Director of Television at John Wells Productions.
Lauren Paget has been promoted from Development Executive to the Director of Development at Assembly Entertainment.
Jorge Dominguez has been upped from VP to the SVP of Art & Design at Univision Communications Inc. Sam Abiad has been named the SVP of Ad Sales Operations & Local Business Strategy, Univision Communications Inc. (New York) He was previously the SVP of Commercial Excellence & Operations at Univision Communications Inc. Hilda García has been named the VP of Digital Local Media at Univision Digital. She was previously the VP of Multimedia Content & Community Development at Entravision Communications Corporation.
David Doyle has been named the VP of Production & Non-Fiction Development at Litton Entertainment. He was previously the President, Executive Producer at Ampersand Media.
Skarpi Hedinsson has been named the Chief Technology Officer at Disney-ABC Television Group. She was previously the SVP of Technology & Platform, Digital Media at Disney-ABC Television Group.
Sandy Varo Jarrell has been named the SVP of Creative at Discovery Studios. She was previously the SVP of Production & Development at TLC. Matthew Vafiadis has been named the VP of Current Production at Discovery Channel. He was previously the SVP of Production & Development at Ellen Rakieten Entertainment.
Caroline Kusser has been named the SVP of Sales & Distribution at FremantleMedia International. She was previously the Managing Director at Carokusser.
Howard Lee has been named the EVP of Development & Production at TLC and General Manager at Discovery Life Channel (Silver Spring, MD). He previously was the EVP of the East Coast division.
Mauricio Piccone has been named the SVP of Reality Programming at Telemundo in Miami. He was previously the Co-EVP at Endemol Shine Latino (Miami)
Daniel Suratt has been upped from EVP of Digital Media & Business Development to the President of Corporate Development, Strategy and Investments at A+E Networks (New York, as of January 1st, 2016). Amy Savitsky has been named the SVP of Development & Programming at A&E. She was previously the SVP of Development at TLC in Washington D.C. Sean Cohan has been named the President of International and Digital Media in New York, as of January 1st. He was previously the EVP of International at A+E Networks.
Management, PR, Agencies
Edwin Hayfron was hired at BWR Public Relations in the Talent office and will report to BWR Executive Vice Presidents Melissa Raubvogel in New York and Nicole Perna in Los Angeles as of January 10. He was formerly a Senior Publicist at Premier PR.
The following Counsels have been made Partner at O’Melveny & Myers: Nima Amini (Hong Kong), Melody Drummond Hansen (San Francisco), Jaroslaw Hawrylewicz (New York), Shelly Heyduk, Don Melamed, Anton Metlitsky (New York), Danielle Oakley, Bimal Patel (Washington DC/New York), Scott Sugino (Tokyo), Cassandra Seto, and Silvia Vannini.
CAA has promoted several Agent Trainees: Justin Cahill has been upped to Music Agent in Nashville, Joe Della Rosa and Luke Rodgers have been upped to Film Finance & Sales Agents, Monique Francis and Amanda Jimenez have been promoted Executives in Marketing, Ryan Vogt has been upped to Licensing Agent. In addition, Lori York has been hired as an Alternative TV Agent at CAA. She was previously the Partner, International TV & Media at ICM Partners.
Gabriel Cohen, Chris Huvane, and Justin Grey Stone have been named Partner in the Talent department at Management 360. They are currently Talent Managers. Ana Bedayo has been promoted from Assistant to Evelyn O’Neill to Talent Manager. Charlie Gavshon has been upped form Assistant to Justin Grey Stone to Talent Manager.
A.B. Fischer, a Literary Manager at The Shuman Company, has been named Partner.
Marc Shaer has been hired as a Talent Manager at Bohemia Group. Marc was formerly a Talent Manager at Apex Talent Group.
Music, Digital, Publishing, Misc.
Steve Hasker will take on the role of COO in addition to his role as the Global President and COO of Nielsen Holdings plc as of January 1st.
Sarah Harden has been named the President of Otter Media. She was previously the EVP of Strategy & Investments at Otter Media.
Ynon Kreiz is pursuing other opportunities (as of January 11th, 2016). She was previously the President at Maker Studios. Courtney Holt will be promoted from Chief Strategy Officer to the EVP, Head at Maker Studios.
Andreea Gleeson has been named the VP of Marketing at TuneCore (New York). She was previously the Digital VP of Marketing at Lord & Taylor.
Roy Sekoff, a founding editor of The Huffington Post and the current President of HuffPost Live, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.
Univision Digital has named Alberto Cairo as their Visualization Innovator-in-Residence. In the newly created role, he’ll act as an internal consultant, helping to establish guidelines and strategy for visual information content across the company’s digital platforms. Cairo previously held positions at the University of Miami.