El Rey Network Names New President & General Manager

AUSTIN: Former Machinima executive Daniel Tibbets has joined El Rey Network as its president and general manager.

Tibbets, who will be based in Los Angeles, will oversee day-to-day operations for the English-language channel. He will work closely with Rodriguez and El Rey Network’s executive team to spearhead the overall growth of the El Rey brand with a focus on digital expansion, content strategy and development, program planning and scheduling, production, acquisitions, talent relations, ad sales, business affairs and business development.

Most recently, Tibbets served as chief content officer at Machinima.

Rodriguez said: “Daniel is an innovator. He isn’t bound by convention and most importantly, he has a deep passion for what we are doing at El Rey Network. At his core, Daniel is a creative and I look forward to partnering with him and the rest of our extraordinary team to continue El Rey’s momentum and demonstrate the power and impact of our cutting-edge brand.”

Tibbets added: “El Rey Network’s unique brand proposition is palpable. There’s an authenticity and energy to the content that sets it apart—the genius of El Rey is Robert’s distinctive point of view. Viewers understand what El Rey stands for and advertisers want to engage with our audience and that makes this a truly exciting opportunity. I look forward to working with Robert and his talented team at this transformative time in media as El Rey is perfectly positioned to take advantage of consumers’ desire to engage with their favorite content in any form and platform they choose.”

FactoryMade principals and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa said: “This is an exciting and pivotal moment for El Rey, and Daniel’s dynamic leadership style and commitment to further developing multiplatform content opportunities is key to the continued success of our brand. We are thrilled to have him join the El Rey family to create breakthrough entertainment that deeply engages our audience—one that reflects the diverse faces of America.”

Tonia O’Connor, El Rey Board Member and chief commercial officer and president of content distribution for Univision Communications, said: “El Rey is at the intersection of innovation with content and representing the changing face of America. With Daniel at the helm partnering with a powerhouse visionary like Robert, we are very excited for El Rey’s continued evolution and its role as a premier network in Univision’s multicultural portfolio.”