Cartel Moves into International Distribution

Cartel Pictures is entering into global distribution, tapping industry veterans Gary Marenzi, Giovanni Pedde and Stephen Tague to spearhead the expansion.

Cartel Studios International will have operations based in Los Angeles and London.

Marenzi, of the global entertainment consultancy Marenzi & Associates, is building Cartel’s distribution team, led by veteran CBS/Viacom executives Pedde and Tague.

Marenzi previously served as head of entertainment sales and partnerships at Endeavor Content, as well as holding president roles at Paramount International Television, MGM Worldwide Television and UIP Pay Television.

Most recently, Pedde was executive VP of client relations for CBS International and previously served as senior VP for Europe at CBS Studios International.

Based in London, Tague recently served as executive VP of client relations for CBS International, responsible for the licensing of CBS content to the U.K. and much of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“Cartel has grown tremendously over the last decade to fill the growing and diversifying content needs of the global industry. We’ve been selling content internationally through third-party distributors, and the next logical step is launching Cartel Studios International to work directly with our global customers in delivering premium programming,” said co-CEO Stan Spry. “Gary, Giovanni and Stephen are the perfect team to lead our expansion in the international marketplace.”

“We couldn’t be more excited and proud to join with Cartel in this exciting new chapter of its growth,” added Marenzi. “In a media world increasingly hungry for high-quality, multi-platform content, Cartel represents a fresh, innovative, fast-growing creator for content with a truly global and cross-demographic appeal.”