Disney Integrates EMEA Distribution, Channel Operations

February 20, 2008 World Screen

BURBANK, February 20: The
Walt Disney Company is integrating its Disney
Channel, ESPN and Disney-ABC International Television (DAIT) businesses in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) under a new group to be led by Tom
Toumazis, the executive VP and managing director of DAIT for EMEA and Canada.

The new structure will take effect in April.
Sales teams from Disney Channel, ESPN and DAIT will form one group, with three
sub-teams: Channel Distribution, Programme Distribution and New Media. Jetix
Europe is currently in discussions with Disney regarding its involvement in
this. The new team’s responsibilities will cover all platforms—terrestrial,
pay, cable/satellite, telco, and IPTV—and all technologies, including
PPV, DTT, VOD, broadband and mobile.

Toumazis is charged with driving growth in the
distribution and revenue of Disney’s channels and television, film and sports
content. He will work closely with John Hardie, executive VP and managing
director of Disney Channels EMEA, and Lynne Frank, the senior VP and managing
director of ESPN EMEA. He will also liaise with Disney’s European management
board and other Disney divisions to develop overall company media growth
strategies. Disney currently has 24 Disney-branded Channels and 8 ESPN channels
in EMEA. Jetix Europe has 15 channels in EMEA. Disney also licenses over 30,000
hours of content to 1,300 broadcasters across 240 territories outside of the
U.S.

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Announcing the restructure, Ben Pyne, the
president of global distribution at Disney-ABC Worldwide Television &
Disney Media Networks, noted: “Tom has an exemplary track record in leading our
programme distribution business to success in these key markets, and is the
ideal executive to lead our new integrated team across both content and channel
distribution. We believe this market-differentiating structure—a first
among studios—will put us in an excellent position to maximise strategic
value for our company, through best serving our clients’ needs.”

—By Mansha Daswani