Lionsgate poaches Disney veteran Goetz

Lionsgate has appointed Jared Goetz, a 22-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, to the newly created role of president of North American television distribution.

Goetz will report to Jim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television and digital distribution.

The appointment comes as Lionsgate “continues to ramp up its domestic and international sales and distribution operations”.

The company currently handles around 40 theatrical releases a year and a 16,000-title film and television library. In addition it handles a roster of programming from Starz, which Lionsgate acquired in December 2016 for US$4.4 billion.

Goetz will head the team responsible for licensing Lionsgate and Starz content across all broadcast, cable, pay-TV, SVOD and other digital platforms in the US and Canada.

Starz has made a commitment to grow its on-demand content offering by 40% for the end of 2017.

Packer said: “I have known Jared for his entire career, and he is one of the most accomplished executives in the business.

“He has managed every kind of content licensing deal to every platform imaginable, and his grasp of the marketplace and where it’s headed will be a great catalyst for our continued growth. His knowledge, relationships and major studio experience make him an invaluable addition to our leadership team.”

Goetz worked for 22 years in a series of executive roles at Disney culminating in his most recent position as senior vice president for pay television and digital sales. He also acted as general sales manager of SVOD for Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution.

He has been part of the leadership team distributing all of the Disney companies’ film and television properties to an array of media platforms and businesses, including electronic home video license, video-on-demand, pay television, subscription video-on-demand, mobile, broadband and other digital technologies.

In July, Lionsgate partnered with Liberty Global to produce new spy thriller The Rook, which was written by Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer.