Saban Capital Group Taps Cooper to Head Digital Media Investments

LOS ANGELES, March 10: Saban
Capital Group (SCG), Haim Saban’s private-investment firm specializing in the
media, entertainment and communications industries, has named Craig Cooper as
its managing director and head of its new digital-media investments group.

In his new role, Cooper
will focus on new media, wireless and consumer Internet investment
opportunities in the U.S. and international markets as well as overseeing the
digital-media strategies of Saban Capital’s portfolio investments.

Cooper was most recently a
director of PureVideo Networks, whose properties included StupidVideos.com and
GrindTV.com, AmpTech Design, Thumbplay, YouMail and EBT Mobile China, a
Shanghai-based wireless products and services company. He was also recently a
venture partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners and was a founding partner in
the SoftBank Capital Technology Fund. Prior to joining SoftBank, Cooper was the
co-founder of Boost Mobile USA, which was sold to Nextel in 2003.

Haim Saban, the chairman
and CEO of Saban Capital Group, said: “We’re thrilled that Craig has agreed to
join our team. We have known Craig for years and have long admired his proven
track record as a thought leader in the world of new media. His creative vision
for the future of our investment platform will be a major asset to Saban
Capital as we continue to make strategic investments in new media and consumer
Internet.”

Based in Los Angeles, SCG
was established in 2001 by Saban, the founder of global family-entertainment
company Saban Entertainment, a television broadcasting, production,
distribution, merchandising and music company that was sold to The Walt Disney
Corporation in October 2001 in a $5.2 billion transaction.

—By Irene Lew