David Nevins, the longtime Showtime chief executive whose position expanded significantly with the merger of CBS and Viacom three years ago into Paramount Global, is leaving the company.
“Quite simply, over the past several months I’ve come to the conclusion that I am ready for the next phase of my life and my career. The industry is transforming rapidly, and I am genuinely excited about what the future holds,” Nevins said in a memo to staff Thursday fed to the showbiz trades.
Nevins, who had led Showtime since 2010, added the title of chief content officer of scripted originals for Paramount Plus after the merger.
While Nevins is widely respected in the TV programming business and is a trusted lieutenant to Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, Nevins was reportedly frustrated with Bakish's somewhat confusing committee-like power structure.
In his own memo, Bakish outlined a new power structure:
➤ Chris McCarthy will take over at Showtime, adding the pay cable channel to a purview that already includes Paramount Network, Comedy Central and MTV.
➤ CBS president and CEO George Cheeks will add Paramount TV Studios and BET to his oversight.
➤ Tom Ryan will take over Showtime’s streaming business.
Notably, Showtime’s programming was added to Paramount Plus in August. Speculation is increasing that Showtime will ultimately fold into the bigger SVOD service.
“David has made sure that Showtime remains central to our differentiated, global, multiplatform strategy, all while supporting our incredible teams at BET and Paramount Television Studios as head of the Premium Group,” Bakish wrote. “He’s helped grow Paramount Plus, our flagship streaming service, too, investing in scripted originals like Halo — which has attracted subscribers and driven audience engagement around the world.” ▪️
