Skydance Distribution President Ray Hopkins is shaking up leadership on the TV and streaming side, with eight executives from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery set to depart following the closing of the merger.
Under the new leadership structure, Hopkins’ top lieutenants will be Sarah Bergman and Mickey Carter, who will share the title of EVP of distribution and split responsibilities for negotiating distribution agreements and managing partnerships. Bergman previously served as WBD’s Networks and Streaming Distribution EVP, while Carter was Paramount’s Distribution EVP.
Rounding out the rest of the TV and streaming distribution leadership team is business development and strategy EVP Brad Shipley, distribution CFO Patrick Cavanaugh, deputy general counsel Rick Baker, partner operations SVP Joe Bahr, marketing SVP Andrew Borak, CBS affiliate relations SVP Bob Aguanno and associate general counsel John Bagwell.
The distribution team will oversee CBS’ owned & operated stations, over 55 basic cable networks and two premium networks, Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery+, Pluto TV and over 100 FAST channels.
Shipley will oversee strategy, new growth partnerships, Pluto TV and FAST distribution, advanced advertising partnerships as well as business planning and analytics. He will also serve as distribution lead for Skydance Global Sports Group.
Cavanaugh will lead economics for all linear and streaming negotiations and manage the linear affiliate revenue life cycle from deal negotiation through cash collection as well as all budgeting, forecasting and reporting.
Bahr will manage operational issues across partners, serve as the liaison to Skydance’s product and tech teams, and support delivery of linear and VOD offerings to distributors. Borak will lead the combined company’s distribution marketing, market to and with distributors, lead cross-brand distribution initiatives and prepare marketing strategies for distribution renewals.
Aguanno will manage Skydance’s relationships with roughly 200 CBS affiliate TV stations, working with the CBS Network affiliate board.
Baker will oversee business and legal affairs for Skydance’s distribution across linear and streaming, including domestic broadcast, premium and cable networks, Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery +, Pluto TV and FAST, while Bagwell will negotiate contracts with the station groups and the CBS Network affiliate board.
Executives set to exit include Warner Bros. Discovery’s head of distribution and finance Rivka Golomb, SVP of partner marketing Kelly Kane, EVP of legal, distribution and commercial partnerships Jeff Cross and EVP of network and streaming distribution Rich Palermo. Though Cross will be leaving the company, he will become a senior adviser to the distribution business.
Departures on the Paramount side include SVP of CBS affiliate distribution David Comisar, CBS affiliate relations EVP Kurt Davis, Paramount marketing, distribution and business development EVP Deena Demasi and Showtime EVP of distribution and affiliate marketing. Ken Kay, Showtime EVP of distribution and affiliate marketing.
Though Hopkins is a member of CEO David Ellison’s executive leadership team, he will report to Skydance DTC and TV Co-Chair and Chief Business Officer JB Perrette.
