Hearst


A+E Networks names veteran Mark Garner to lead global FAST channel push

A+E Networks has named veteran exec Mark Garner to the newly created position of EVP & head of global FAST channels, as the company looks to bolster its operations. Garner, who has been at A+E for 23 years, will accelerate the Disney and Hearst-owned company’s FAST business internationally and extend its reach in the US. […]

Hearst rejigs production & distribution arm, with Litton Entertainment execs promoted

US media group Hearst has appointed three execs from its production outfit Litton Entertainment to take on newly created senior management roles at the New York-based company’s Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) division. Bryan Curb becomes EVP & general manager for educational/informational programming at producer and distributor HMPG, having most recently been chief creative officer […]

Disney in talks to sell A+E stake to Hearst

Disney is in talks to sell off part of its stake in A+E Networks to Hearst, its joint venture partner for the network group. The Mouse is looking to sell off its interest in five European cable channels that are part of A+E Networks to the publishing and entertainment company, according to Variety. The news […]

Iflix hires RTL CBS Asia founder

Iflix has appointed the founding CEO of RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network, Jonas Engwall, as its new head of Asia. Engwall (pictured) takes over from the emerging market SVOD service’s previous Asia boss, David Goldstein, who moves to a new role as non-executive chairman of Iflix Asia. He brings more than 14 years of broadcasting and […]

Iflix closes $133m funding round led by Hearst

Emerging market SVOD service Iflix has completed a US$133 million funding round led by US media giant Hearst. Existing shareholders Sky, Liberty Global, Evolution Media and Jungle Ventures also increased their investments in the firm, and were joined by new backers Singapore-based EDBI and clients of DBS private bank. Iflix has now raised in excess […]

Discovery and Hearst execs join Endemol Shine

Endemol Shine Group has appointed Hearst’s Kathryn Flood and Discovery’s Lawrence Pavely as creative strategists within its commercial partnerships team. Flood and Pavely’s remit will include developing international sales propositions for branded content in the TV and digital sectors. They will be tasked with generating new business sales and working with brands and clients locally […]

Barcroft to produce US shows with Complex Networks

Youth-focused media group Complex Networks and UK-based Barcroft Media will coproduce original programmes in the US. Complex in its current guise was form last year after telco Verizon and publisher Hearst jointly acquired Complex Media in a bid to attract younger, pop culture-influenced millennials audiences. The company has now struck a multi-year advertising and content […]

Robbins exits AwesomenessTV

Brian Robbins is leaving AwesomenessTV, the kids-focused multichannel network he founded five years ago. Robbins co-created AwesomenessTV with Joe Davola in 2012, and together they turned the business into the pre-eminent MCN for children and teenagers, ultimately selling up to DreamWorks Animation. With DreamWorks in turn selling to Comcast for US$3.8 billion, and the joint […]

Hearst buys kids prodco Litton

New York-based media group Hearst is to buy a majority stake in children’s TV producer and distributor Litton Entertainment. The transaction is expected to close on February 1 following an agreement, terms of which were not disclosed, was struck between Hearst Television and Litton. Hearst has a range of media assets, including an ownership stake […]

Report: Verizon set to buy Vessel

US telco Verizon is in position to acquire mobile video platform Vessel, according to a report. Ex-Hulu CEO Jason Kilar and CTO Richard Tom launched Vessel in March 2015 as a start-up after raising millions of dollars in investment. The plan was to offer YouTube stars an alternative to the Google-owned platform, but failed to […]