Nat Geo Ventures Sets Up New International Group

LONDON/WASHINGTON: National Geographic Society’s content production and distribution arm, National Geographic Ventures, has set up a new international business that will be based in London and led by Maurice van Sabben.

National Geographic Ventures International has been set up to support existing National Geographic Ventures operations in international markets. NGVI will also create and manage new opportunities for content distribution. The division will be led by van Sabben—currently the head of National Geographic Television International (NGTI)—as president, reporting to Edward Prince, the COO of Washington, D.C.-based NGV.

“National Geographic’s international business has diversified significantly, from localized websites in Japan and Italy to wide distribution points for home entertainment and the creation of mobile apps and digital editions of National Geographic magazine,” said Prince. “The creation of NGVI is a new opportunity to maximize our potential in every market. Maurice is the ideal choice to lead this new operation; currently president of NGTI, our international TV distribution division, he has worked for a range of international platforms and content syndication businesses, with particular focus on European, Asian and Latin American markets. He also is multilingual and brings a collaborative and strategic approach to driving our multiplatform strategy forward.”

Said van Sabben, “The creation of NGVI further promotes the vast range of content and options that National Geographic offers through its various business streams, and provides a natural ‘go to’ point and conduit for potential partners in the cross-platform space outside of the United States. National Geographic is already a trusted provider of top-quality factual content across the world; my job will be to work with our international teams to ensure that this content reaches all potential audiences and that we extract maximum value from our assets."