Top Machinima Exec Sanjay Sharma Departs for New Gig (Exclusive)

Sharma helped build one of the first massive networks on YouTube

Sanjay Sharma
Getty Images

Top Machinima executive Sanjay Sharma has left the online video company for a new job, according to individuals close to the company. Sharma has been at Machinima since the beginning, an EVP who shaped strategy for one of YouTube’s first giant networks.

Also read: Machinima’s New CEO Chad Gutstein: How the Internet Startup is Like Cable

The former Warner Bros. executive planned to leave Machinima after Allen DeBevoise stepped out of a day-to-day role at the company he helped found. Former Ovation COO Chad Gutstein took the reins from DeBevoise in March.

When TheWrap spoke with Sharma at the premiere of a recent show, he said the company had  settled down after a couple rounds of layoffs.  The company’s flagship channel has since surpassed 5 billion views while executives focus on producing high-quality shows for its core gaming audience.

Also read: Machinima Bets Big on ‘Street Fighter’ to Deliver the Franchise It Needs

Sharma, who holds degrees from Columbia, Stanford and Oxford, entered the entertainment business at Warner Bros., where he worked in the business and legal affairs division for three years. He then moved to Spot Runner before joining Machinima in 2009.

His next move remains unclear at the moment, though it should be announced soon.

Comments