Ravi Ahuja promoted to president & COO at Sony Pictures Entertainment

Ravi Ahuja

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has promoted Ravi Ahuja to president and chief operating officer.

Ahuja currently serves as chairman of global TV studios and corporate development at Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and will retain this title and remit following his promotion.

He takes on his expanded duties on 1 April and will continue to report to SPE chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who it is believed is positioning Ahuja as his eventual successor.

Former Disney TV president Ahuja joined Sony from the Mouse House in 2021 to take oversight of SPT’s US and international productions, as well as its unscripted and game show divisions.

During his time at the company, Ahuja has led several M&A deals, including the acquisition of UK-based Doctor Who and His Dark Materials firm Bad Wolf.

Ahuja also oversees company operations in India and took the lead on the ultimately abandoned $10bn merger with Zee Enterprises. The deal, which had been given final regulatory clearance in August, would have created a media giant in India.

Vinciquerra revealed Ahuja’s promotion in a memo to staff on Wednesday, in which he wrote: “From reorienting our television businesses to better align with the realities of today’s TV landscape, to leveraging and expanding our popular franchises and gameshow IP, to seeking out new areas of growth through M&A, Ravi’s strategic insight and ability to drive execution have been instrumental in enhancing our businesses and preparing SPE for an even stronger future. In this expanded role as COO, Ravi will be able to apply his talents and results-driven approach across the breadth of SPE’s businesses.”