A+E Studios Taps Chris Sanagustin as Head of Current Programming

A+E Studios named Chris Sanagustin as head of current programming for the independent studios, reuniting the entertainment exec with Tana Jamieson.

Sanagustin joins A+E from Pine Tree Entertainment, where she served as president alongside producing partner Bill Prady, co-creator of “The Big Bang Theory.” Sanagustin will report directly to Jamieson, co-head and EVP of creative affairs.

“Chris is an exceptional creative leader whom I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating [with] when I was on the network side, so this is a full circle moment to have her join us now at the studio,” Tana Jamieson, A+E Studios co-head and EVP of creative affairs, said. “Her track record, global experience and instinct for championing bold storytellers makes her a tremendous addition to our team.”

Jamieson previously collaborated with the recently appointed executive on the horror series “Bates Motel.” In her new role, Sanagustin will oversee a range of scripted projects for the studio, including “The Lincoln Lawyer” and the untitled Lars Kepler Project. 

Most recently, Sanagustin served as president of Pine Tree Entertainment since November 2019. There she developed and sold a diverse slate of projects to Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, NBC and TBS. Her slate at Pine Tree included adult animation, multi-cam comedies, high-concept sci-fi mysteries and musical dramedies. 

Sanagustin also served as the Brazilian original content lead at Netflix. She led development and production for the streamer’s global markets and doubled the company’s Brazilian originals output during her time there.

Before Netflix, she served as EVP of current programming at Universal Television. During her tenure there, she oversaw the company’s slate of series, including “Bates Motel,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Good Girls,” “The Good Place,” “The Mindy Project” and “Will & Grace,” among others.

She first began her career in production, working her way up from a P.A. to an executive. Her earlier professional roles include senior creative positions at Universal Cable Productions, SYFY and The WB Television Network. 

A+E’s slate includes “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix), “UnReal” (Peacock) and “Roots.” The studio is currently in production on the aforementioned untitled Lars Kepler Project for Apple TV and has over 70 projects in active development across streaming, cable, broadcast and international platforms. 

Last November, Starz reportedly expressed interest in a potential acquisition of the Lifetime and The History channel parent company. These rumblings came a few months after Disney and Hearst hired Wells Fargo to explore potential sale or merger options of A+E Media.