Former ITV commercial director William Van Rest launches JEM Media Ventures

William Van Rest (Source: JEM Media Ventures)

Former ITV exec William van Rest has launched JEM Media Ventures, a new UK-based company designed to help businesses, brands and talent create ancillary income streams from their IP, assets or unused inventory.

The new firm will assist current rights holders such as producers and distributors to commercially optimise their IP; find IP for businesses to licence into their operations to develop new commercial products; and establish partnerships with advertisers and brands.

As the company gears up for its formal launch, JEM has already started working with an unnamed VR firm and tech production company; partnered with a global distributor to secure a deal for a for a unnamed cookery format to launch a restaurant; and helped a tech commerce start up to win a media business tender process for a multi-year contract.

JEM has also secured deals to licence global IP into a fast-growing immersive experience business and assisted a talent agency in finding commercial deals for a global fashion and music star a UK pop group and a leading children’s author.

It is also currently working on a full licencing programme for a new feature film that’s currently in development with A-list Hollywood talent attached.

Van Rest was most recently at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, where he served as director of games, live & merchandising, creating brand extensions for IP such as Love Island, including its popular mobile game, and live tours and events such as The Big Reunion and Ant & Dec’s Takeaway on Tour. He also created a network of 17 Ninja Warrior Adventure Parks around the UK with over three million visitors to date.

Van Rest also held several senior commercial director roles during his 17-year tenure, as well as spending interim periods as MD of ITV.com and editorial director of ITV’s digital content studio. He was originally hired by ITV as a controller to oversee the late night ITV1 schedule, alongside a dedicated digital channel and games web site.

“Typically, rights owners spend most of their energies getting their shows on air or projects off the ground and then move on to the next idea. But with today’s budgetary and commissioning challenges it’s never been more vital to explore and properly maximise the long tail value of what you already have – and that’s where JEM Media Ventures comes in,” said Van Rest.

“We understand the power of both content and personal brands and know how to extend and manage them off-air in a wealth of innovative ways that drive meaningful interactions and new levels of engagement – as well as important new revenue channels.”