Viacom Taps Brian Robbins as Nickelodeon’s President

Brian Robbins, who most recently served as president of Paramount Pictures’ Paramount Players division, has been appointed president of Viacom’s Nickelodeon, effective immediately.

Robbins will work under Bob Bakish, the president and CEO of Viacom. He will oversee the creative and business operations at Nickelodeon. He is charged with evolving the brand for a new generation of younger audiences, including expanding its content pipeline through a combination of new and legacy franchises, and accelerating the push into next-generation platforms and feature film.

As head of Paramount Players, Robbins collaborated with Nickelodeon and Viacom’s other brands to identify talent and properties to be developed into co-branded feature films. He will continue to be involved in the development, production and marketing of all Nickelodeon co-branded movies with Paramount Players, including Dora the Explorer and Rugrats.

Wyck Godfrey, the president of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, will manage day-to-day operations at Paramount Players, with support from Robbins, during a transition period until a successor is found.

Earlier in his career, Robbins co-founded and served as CEO of the multiplatform media company Awesomeness. He also set up Tollins/Robbins Productions and was the founder and president of Varsity Pictures.

Bakish commented: “Brian is a creative powerhouse who has spent his career on the frontlines of our industry, anticipating and driving changes in television, film and digital media. With his unmatched credentials in kids’ entertainment and his firsthand knowledge of Nickelodeon, I have asked Brian to drive the innovation and transformation that will ensure the brand remains the dominant force with young audiences.”

Robbins added: “Nickelodeon is one of the entertainment industry’s most vibrant and groundbreaking brands, with iconic properties, a deep culture of creativity and invention, and an incredibly talented team of kids’ entertainment professionals. I’m thrilled to return to Nickelodeon and draw on its many strengths—including its rich library and rapidly growing studio production business—to deliver must-see content to kids on every platform around the world. During this time of upheaval in big media, I can’t wait to disrupt the disrupters.”