Lionsgate Hires Veteran Disney Exec for North American TV Distribution

Lionsgate has named Jared Goetz, a 22-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, as president of North American television distribution, a newly created position.

Goetz will report to Jim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television and digital distribution. Goetz will head the team responsible for licensing Lionsgate and Starz content across all broadcast, cable, pay-TV, SVOD and other digital platforms in the U.S. and Canada.

Prior to joining Lionsgate, Goetz worked for 22 years in a series of executive roles at Disney, most recently serving as senior VP of pay television and digital sales, and general sales manager for SVOD for Disney/ABC home entertainment and television distribution.

“I have known Jared for his entire career, and he is one of the most accomplished executives in the business,” said Packer. “He has managed every kind of content licensing deal to every platform imaginable, and his grasp of the marketplace and where it’s headed will be a great catalyst for our continued growth. His knowledge, relationships and major studio experience make him an invaluable addition to our leadership team.”

“I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best distribution executives in the business,” said Goetz. “I look forward to using what I have learned from each of them to continue developing an already strong distribution team at Lionsgate. I’ve been deeply impressed by the rapid growth of Lionsgate’s content engine and the entrepreneurial spirit driving that growth. I couldn’t be more excited to become part of such an innovative and forward-looking studio.”