Company Launches & Partnerships
After launching a new eSports vertical, Yahoo Sports has signed a deal with the NHL and will begin live-streaming up to four NHL hockey games per week, delivering in-game highlights. The NHL deal runs through the end of the 2016-2017 season. The live-streams, which will be free, are available to U.S. audiences.
YouTube network StyleHaul is joining forces with Time Inc. in a new multi-year advertising partnership and will create branded projects, and play them across multiple platforms. They’ll also target marketers with a focus on fashion or beauty.
Production company Shaftesbury and its digital studio Smokebomb Entertainment are teaming up with the Banff World Media Festival on the digital series pitch competition, The Audience Metrics Partnership Accelerator. The competition’s top three finalists will be sent to Banff to pitch their projects in front of a live industry audience; after the fest, one or more of the projects will be selected to move into development with Shaftesbury/Smokebomb. The festival takes place from June 12 through the 15.
Bestselling author Harlan Coben and Nicola Shindler are now Joint CEOs of Final Twist Productions. Studiocanal will handle international distribution of the original content. Final Twist will be based in the U.S. and develop contemporary thrillers for U.S. broadcast networks. Final Twist will partner with Red Production Company, the company Shindler founded which is best known for the BAFTA award-winning series Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley. Final Twist is already in development on the returning drama series, Six Years, adapted from Coben’s bestselling novel of the same name.
USA Today Network is launching VRtually There, the first branded news experience presented in virtual reality. Premiering in the spring of 2016, VRtually There will work with its newsrooms to develop a slate of regularly-scheduled original programming covering a variety of topics, including music news from Nashville, sports news from Detroit and Indianapolis, political news from Washington DC, outdoor news from Reno and Fort Collins, tech and life news from San Francisco and Los Angeles, and consumer tips from Reviewed.com.
YouTube co-founder Steve Chen is launching Nom, a new digital platform that will feature heavily interactive live-streamed broadcasts centering on food and cooking. “If you have a food blog and want to connect with a bigger audience, Nom is for you,” said Chen in a press release. Nom has raised $4.7 million in Series A funding.
The stock-media provider Shutterstock has signed a three-year deal with the Associated Press. Through the deal Shutterstock’s U.S. clients will be able to license over 2 million video clips and 30 million photos from news service’s daily and archived collections.
Gunpowder & Sky, the newly formed digital studio focused on both short content and feature length films, has inked a development partnership with Shareability, a startup devoted to viral branded videos. Shareability will develop long-form content, invest in distribution platforms, and hire execs. The companies are also exploring co-productions.
Film
Kevin Spacey will not be heading Relativity as Chairman, but his Trigger Street Partner, Dana Brunetti will be made the President of Relativity Studios. Per Spacey’s statement, “Relativity emerges from bankruptcy and now that I have a much deeper understanding of the specifics of the amount of work that will be needed to shepherd the company through this transition I have concluded it is work that I neither have the time nor the wherewithal to take on.”
IM Global, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Reliance ADA, has just made three executive hires: Wifreddy Chiang will now be the VP of Operations and Finance, Louise Heseltine will join as Director of International Marketing and Publicity, and Mike Pastrano has been hired as as Manager of Business and Legal Affairs. Chiang was previously VP at Qualia Legacy Advisors, Heseltine was Director of PR at MLPR, and Pastrano as an Attorney at Lionsgate. In addition, Amanda Archibald has been upped to VP, International Marketing and Publicity and Callum Grant has been upped from Creative Executive to Director, International Sales and Acquisitions.
Erik Lomis is leaving his post as Distribution Chief at the Weinstein Co. after five years to work at Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures in a new executive role overseeing distribution.
Michael Fisk has been named the EVP of International Marketing at Lionsgate. Previously he spent 12 years at Sony Pictures as the SVP of International Marketing, overseeing the marketing campaigns for the 007 series among other films.
Christine Birch has been named the EVP Domestic Creative Marketing Strategy at Sony Pictures. In the new position, she will work across marketing functions including advertising, publicity, digital, and creative content to unify campaign strategies. Previously she was the President of Marketing at Focus Features.
Andrew Woodhead has been named the Managing Director in the TV division at Working Title. He was previously an Exec Producer at Kudos, working on Spooks and the UK version of Law & Order. He also served as Exec Producer on Sky Atlantic’s Fortitude and Sky 1’s Sinbad.
Steven Knauss has been upped from Special Assignments Executive to the Assistant Executive Director at Directors Guild of America. Rachel Paster has been named the Assistant Executive Director of the Directors Guild of America in New York. She was formerly a Partner at Lewis, Clifton & Nikolaidis.
Cale Boyter has been named the EVP of Development at Legendary Entertainment. Boyter was previously the President at Disruption Entertainment. Ali Mendes has been named the VP of Development at Legendary Entertainment. Mendes was formerly the VP of Development at Disruption Entertainment.
Sarah J. DeBruin has been upped from PR Manager to the Senor Manager of Publicity at Shout! Factory.
George Leon will leave his post as EVP of Consumer Marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment to pursue other opportunities in May 2016.
Brett Belinsky has been named the President of Delivery Operations at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. He was previously the Managing Director at Encompass Digital Media Ltd.
TV
Lauren Kisilevsky has been upped from Executive Director to VP of Original Movies at the Disney Channel. She will continue to oversee creative development for some of Disney Channel’s upcoming projects, including High School Musical 4. Projects she recently oversaw include Teen Beach 2, Zapped, and How to Build a Better Boy.
Helen Cooper has been upped from Acquisitions Manager to the Head of Acquisitions at Endemol Shine Group (London, as of late March 2016).
Nancy Cotton has been named the President at Heyday Television U.S. She was formerly the SVP of Creative Affairs at Fox 21 Television Studios.
Ed Crick has been named the Head of Original Programming, UK at Red Bull TV in London. He was previously the Creative Director at Tern TV. Jim Sayer has been named the Head of TV Programming, UK at Red Bull TV. He was previously the CEO at Maverick Television.
Rob Klippel has been named the SVP of Advanced Advertising Products & Strategy at Charter Communications in Stamford, CT. He was previously the VP of Advanced Platforms at Comcast.
Margaret Lazo has been named the Chief Human Resources Officer at Univision Communications (as of April 11th, 2016) She was formerly the Global Human Resources Leader at GE Capital in New York.
David Leavy has been shifted from Chief Communications Officer and Senior EVP of Corporate Marketing & Business Operations to the Chief Corporate Operations and Communications Officer at Discovery Communications.
Christopher Barry has been named the SVP and Head of Finance and Business Planning, International and Digital at A+E Networks. He was previously the SVP of International Strategy and Digital Media at A+E Networks. Mark Tuohy has been named the VP of Creative Affairs at A+E Studios. He was previously the Director at Fox International Channels.
Elena Blekhter has been named the Manager of Sales, Marketing & Content at Dynamic Television. She was formerly the Coordinator of Drama Development at NBC Entertainment.
Mirella Breda has been upped from Creative Director to the Managing Director at Initial (London, as of May 2016).
Maya Brooks has been named the VP of Publicity & Talent Relations at AMC and SundanceTV. She was formerly the Original Content Publicity at Hulu.
Kate Farrell has been upped from Executive Producer to the VP of Original Programming at WE tv in New York. Lauren Lazin has been named the Executive Producer at WE tv. She was formerly the Director of L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.
Teri Kennedy has been named the EVP of Development & Original Unscripted Programming at Ryan Seacrest Productions. She was formerly the Head of Current Production at Oxygen Media.
Ronak Kordestani has been named the Head of Development at Tremendous! Entertainment. He was previously the Head of Development at Trium Entertainment / INE Entertainment.
Sally Miles, Founder of Passion Distribution, has left her post as CEO to pursue other opportunities.
Emmanuelle Namiech has been named the CEO at Passion Distribution (as of May 3rd, 2016). He was previously the Managing Director at Banijay International.
Bruce Rosenblum will leave his post as the President at Legendary Television and Digital Media to pursue other opportunities.
Nick Samwell-Smith will leave his post as Managing Director at Initial in May to pursue other opportunities.
Sandra Smith has been upped from Head to the Director of Production at Initial in London.
Haley Stoessl has been upped from Coordinator to the Manager of Development at The Cartel.
Stephanie Todd has been upped from Senior Director, Planning & Programming to the VP of Programming at HLN in Atlanta.
Management, PR, Agencies
Jeffrey Azoff is now a Principal at Full Stop Management. He was previously a Music Agent at CAA. Tommy Bruce is now a Music Manager at Full Stop Management. He was previously a Music Agent at CAA.
Publicists Joy Fehily and Michael Donkis have closed Prime PR and are joining PMK•BNC as EVPs. They will also bring their staff. They will bring their clients including Christopher McQuarrie, James Gunn, Seth MacFarlane, Aaron Sorkin, Robert Downey, Jr. and Olivia Wilde among many others.
Jenny Bloom has been upped from Senior Publicist to the VP of Film Publicity at Prodigy Public Relations.
Lindsay Galin has been made the Co-Manager of the Talent Division in addition to her title as SVP of Entertainment at Rogers & Cowan in New York. Jeff Raymond has been named the Co-Manager, Talent Division and upped from VP to SVP of Entertainment at Rogers & Cowan.
Gabrielle Kachman is now a Talent Agent at Gersh in New York. She was formerly a Talent Manager at Authentic Talent & Literary Management. Tovah Silbermann is now a Personal Appearances Agent in the Comedy Department at Gersh in New York. He was previously the Founder of the Empire Biscuit Comedy Festival and Associate Producer of Boy Band in New York.
Jason Kasperski has been upped from Senior Publicist to the VP, Corporate Communications at Prodigy Public Relations.
Jerilyn Novia has been upped from Coordinator to Comedy Manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Eric Pertilla is now a Talent & Literary Agent at Paradigm. He was previously a Talent & Literary Manager at Mosaic.
Jennifer Weinbaum Ray has been named the Manager of Literary at Heroes and Villains Entertainment. She was formerly a Literary Manager at Gotham/Principal.
Music, Digital, Publishing, Misc.
Alan Osetek has been hired as the global CEO at Digilant, a Boston-based programmatic advertising company. He previously served as the Global President of Resolution Media, a digital marketing unit of Omnicom Media Group.
Maggie Lane has been hired as a Coordinator in Interactive at Skybound Entertainment. She was formerly a Coordinator at Pukeko Pictures.
Bonnie Pan has been named the President at Endemol Beyond USA. She was formerly the EVP of Programming at Maker Studios. Georg Ramme will leave his post as Global Managing Director at Endemol Beyond International and Managing Director at Endemol Beyond Germany in May 2016 to pursue other opportunities.
Douglas Reed has been named the EVP of Business Development, Radio & Library Services at SourceAudio in Philadelphia. He was previously the VP, Creative Director at Premiere Networks.