Fox Networks Group has named Brian Sullivan president and chief operating officer, assuming the role vacated when former FNG COO Randy Freer was tapped to head OTT service Hulu last month.
Sullivan will directly oversee revenue and distribution for the Fox Television Group, FX, Fox Sports and National Geographic Partners. He will also continue to lead FNG’s Digital Consumer Group which is responsible for its authenticated streaming apps. He will report to Fox Networks Group chairman and CEO and 21st Century Fox president Peter Rice.
Freer was named CEO of Hulu – which is 30% owned by FNG parent 21st Century Fox – last month after then-CEO Michael Hopkins resigned to become chairman of Sony Pictures Television.
“Brian is an incredibly talented executive and has been instrumental in leading the direct to consumer efforts across our brands,” Rice said in a statement. “Brian’s track record at Sky and his proven expertise in building digital video consumer products has made him an invaluable part of our senior leadership team, and I look forward to working with him to continue to focus and operationalize our revenue, distribution and D2C efforts.”
Sullivan has been president and COO of Fox Networks’ Digital Consumer Group since 2015 leading digital strategy for all the group’s network brands and authenticated streaming products.
Sullivan began his career working at Showtime Networks, then moved to FNG parent 21st Century Fox’s satellite unit Sky in the U.K. and Germany. He held several roles at Sky U.K., eventually becoming managing director of its Customer Group, and was instrumental in the creation of Sky Digital, Sky+, Sky HD and Sky Broadband. In Germany, Sullivan was CEO of Sky Deutschland, and his team was responsible for turning around the operation and his team turned around the operation, launching several products, including live sport/entertainment streaming service Sky Go.
“Fox Networks Group’s exceptional portfolio of brands continues to have an unrivalled reach and influence around the world at a time of dramatic transformation for our industry,” Sullivan said in a statement. “I look forward to my expanded role as I continue working with FNG’s leadership to grow our business and drive consumer choice in the emerging TV ecosystem.”
As a result of Sullivan’s appointment, Michael Biard, president, Distribution, and Joe Marchese, president, Ad Revenue, will now report to him. At the same time, the advertising revenue group is being reorganized and Danielle Maged, executive vice president, Global Solutions, will now report to Marchese. FNG Europe and Africa president Jan Koeppen and FNG Latin America president Carlos Martinez will report jointly to Sullivan and Rice.
