Ex-Zodiak exec joins new Red Arrow venture

Fledgling Red Arrow Entertainment co-venture Cove Pictures has hired a former Channel 4 Rights, Zodiak West and Diverse Productions exec.

Paul Sowerbutts has joined the five-month-old prodco as head of international programming and factual, meaning the firm extends its original scripted programming focus.

Sowerbutts is known as managing director of Channel 4’s former sales arm, which was subsumed into DRG in 2007, and Diverse, which sat within Zodiak Media. He was also VP of Zodiak West and publishing director of BBC Books.

“Forging great relationships with extraordinary talent is at the heart of what we are striving to do at Cove, and Paul brings in an extraordinary network in order to develop our first factual projects,” said Cove managing director Heather Rabbatts.

Cove was established this year a venture of ProSiebenSat.1-owned Red Arrow and Smuggler Inc. co-founders Patrick Milling-Smith and Brian Carmody.

Rabbatts, a former Channel 4, BBC and FA executive, was tapped to lead the venture, which debuted with a creative alliance with Barbara Broccoli’s Eon Productions (the James Bond franchise). Cover has offices in London, New York and LA.

Red Arrow has a minority stake in the business, and sells Cove programming globally through its Red Arrow International arm.