Ex-Sky Germany Chief Lands at Fox Networks Group

LOS ANGELES: Brian Sullivan, who for the past five years served as the CEO of Sky Deutschland, has been tapped for a newly created post at Fox Networks Group (FNG) as president of digital.

Based in Los Angeles, Sullivan will take up the new role on July 27. He will report to Peter Rice, the chairman and CEO of FNG.

In this new post, Sullivan will be responsible for coordinating strategy in the direct-to-consumer digital-video category and driving growth across FNG’s portfolio of products, which include FOXNow, FXNow, FOX Sports Go and the group's international Fox Play products, among others. He will be working closely with Randy Freer, the president and COO of FNG, and the leadership of FNG’s channels—John Landgraf, Hernan Lopez, Courteney Monroe, Gary Newman, Dana Walden and Eric Shanks.

The move marks Sullivan's return to the U.S., after having spent nearly two decades in Europe in a variety of senior roles in the pay-TV arena. He spent the last five years at Sky Deutschland, having stepped down in March, and before that spent 13 years at BSkyB (now just known as Sky), most recently as managing director of the customer group. He also previously held various roles in the U.S. pay-TV sector, including at Showtime Networks.

“Our portfolio of brands has the scale, reach and breadth to continue driving real innovation across the digital video landscape,” said Rice. “Brian’s track record—which includes leading the turnaround at Sky Deutschland, as well as helping to build BSkyB into one of the world’s most successful pay-TV platforms—underscores his constant focus on putting the customer first while embracing new technologies and platforms to deliver the best experience possible. It is vital that we have a single executive dedicated to these efforts, and Brian is clearly the perfect person to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“This new role not only returns me to my roots in the U.S., but also does so at a time of significant change within the video industry, one which is full of amazing new opportunities,” said Sullivan. “With its strength in content, creativity, and channels, both linear and on demand, I can’t think of a company better poised to benefit from these opportunities than Fox. Having known Peter, Randy, and the entire FNG leadership for a long time, I am incredibly excited to join such a talented team, to help empower our channels to further drive innovation, while providing viewers with a compelling and engaging product experience.”