Former Disney and TikTok chief Kevin Mayer has joined Access Industries, the entertainment investment firm founded by Len Blavatnik. Mayer rose through the ranks at Disney over a 15 year period to emerge as its DTC chairman and oversaw the launch of Disney+ in November 2019. He left shortly after in May of this year after he […]
Access Entertainment has bought James Packer out of PatPac Entertainment, the US prodco the latter founded with Brett Ratner. The deal hands the media arm of Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries Packer’s stake in the RatPac business and a “major piece” of the RatPac-Dune Entertainment venture that co-finances Warner Bros. Pictures films. Access Entertainment president and […]
Fledgling UK drama prodco House Productions has hired a commercial chief, as the firm continues to build its ranks. Haryy Dixon has left Film4 to become commercial director for House, which launched last year and quickly founded backers in the shape of BBC Worldwide and Danny Cohen’s Access Entertainment. Dixon will join in March, and […]
BBC Worldwide, Danny Cohen’s Access Entertainment and UK indie Lookout Point have created a premium drama funding initiative aimed at taking projects straight to series. The operation will be known as Benchmark Television. While it is not a production entity, it will commission projects from third-party producers and writing talent. BBCWW, the BBC’s commercial arm, […]
Former Channel 4 drama chief Tessa Ross and ex-Working Title Television UK boss Juliette Howell can count of the backing of BBC Worldwide and Access Industries for their new indie. The pair will run House Productions as joint CEOs, and will focus on premium television and feature films. News of the indie’s creation broke in […]
Russian producer Amedia has moved into the channels business in a big way, effectively launching HBO in Russia and inking a huge programming deal with CBS Studios International. Founder and president Alexander Akopov tells Stewart Clarke about the company’s plans in the pay TV space. Amedia was until a recently best known as Russia’s biggest […]
Russian producer and pay TV channel operator Amedia has inked an exclusive five-year output deal with HBO. The agreement covers the US premium programmer and channel operator’s scripted series and movies and documentary output. Amedia will take exclusive rights to shows including The Newsroom (pictured), Girls, Game of Thrones, and Boardwalk Empire. The deal covers […]
