Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman is to launch a digitally focused arm named Mermade. Mermade will specialise in the creation of non-broadcast content of all shapes and sizes, funded by and for social and streaming platforms, brands and publishers. It will have a particular focus on short-form episodic content. The development of Mermade follows […]
AwesomenessTV has hired Endemol Shine Beyond’s former president, Bonnie Pan, as head of network. In the newly created role, Pan will oversee video and editorial content across AwesomnessTV’s YouTube channel, social video platforms and all owned and operated platforms. Pan will report to AwesomenessTV’s new CEO Jordan Levin and its president Brett Bouttier, and work […]
The US arm of independent producers association Pact has forged a new alliance with a group representing producers of web content. The digital expansion also sees PactUS team up with a US law firm that specialises in digital programming deals. David Lyle (left), the former Fox exec who heads PactUS, is expanding the breadth of […]
A UK-based, Maker Studios-backed virtual reality content producer has hired senior executives from Endemol Shine Group and YouTube channels group Jukin Media. Blend Media has hired James Bacon (pictured) as senior VP, commercial partnerships, and Greg Bond from Jukin, which yesterday launched Video Pizza, an entertainment platform for Japanese audiences. Bacon was previously Endemol Shine’s […]
Viral Spiral founder Damian Collier has received backing from a host of prominent media executives for his new venture, VR firm Blend Media. LADBible Group co-founder and CEO Alex Solomou; Maker Studios co-founder and former president Ben Donovan; and ITN Productions managing director Mark Browning are among the investors in the 360° video and VR content […]
The Walt Disney Company is reportedly eyeing a deal to buy social media platform Twitter. According to Bloomberg, the Mouse House sees Twitter as a key video distribution platform, and as such has hired the Bank of America to evaluate a deal. Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey is the board of Disney, meaning the […]
ProSiebenSat.1 has poached a digital exec from Disney’s Maker Studios to run its ad-supported VOD services. Christian Dankl will be the German broadcaster’s CEO of AVOD. The role is a new one at ProSieben, which recently reorganised its digital business. That internal restructure saw ProSieben COO Christopher Wahl take the chairman role at the digital […]
Maker Studios programming chief Bonnie Pan has joined Endemol Beyond USA as president. She technically replaces Will Keenan, who left Endemol Shine North America’s digital production and multichannel network last year. Company COO Adrian Sexton has been interim president since the departure in August last year. Sexton, who joined Endemol Beyond USA after leaving Participant […]
Ynon Kreiz has left Maker Studios almost a year after The Walt Disney Company acquired the US-based multichannel network. Kreiz was most recently the firm’s CEO, having initially joined as executive chairman. He will be replaced by Maker COO Courtney Holt, who will be executive VP. Disney acquired Maker for US$500 million last year, in […]
The Walt Disney Company’s multichannel network Maker Studios has released an animated series starring internet comedy star The Fat Jewish. Story Time with Fat Jew launched on the YouTube page of Josh Ostrovsky, aka The Fat Jew, and on Maker’s own streaming site, MakerTV. The series, which Matador Content (Lip Sync Battle) produces, will run […]
