iWorld
Tom Ryan takes charge as ViacomCBS Streaming president & CEO
MUMBAI: ViacomCBS has restructured its global leadership, with the biggest change-up coming in the form of Pluto TV CEO Tom Ryan being appointed president and CEO of Streaming.
In his new role, Ryan will overlook CBS All Access, which will relaunch as Paramount+ in early 2021. He will continue to hold on to his remit at Pluto TV while also taking charge of the company’s global streaming strategy.
Marc DeBevoise will step down from his roles as ViacomCBS’s chief digital officer and president-CEO of ViacomCBS Digital. He will serve in an advisory capacity for the remainder of the year.
ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) COO Kelly Day will take on an expanded role as president of streaming for VCNI, overseeing all non-US digital and streaming platforms.
The media conglomerate also announced that Pierluigi Gazzolo will step down from his position as president, streaming and studios, at VCNI.
ViacomCBS president and CEO Bob Bakish said, “ViacomCBS has a unique opportunity to combine the best of our brands in a seamless ecosystem of must-watch, direct-to-consumer services for audiences around the world. As we plan for the launch of Paramount+, bringing together the leaders of our streaming platforms to create a unified global organization will enable us to execute a holistic strategy across both free and pay.”
As president and CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming, Ryan will lead the company’s effort to further accelerate the growth of its free and paid streaming services. He will now work closely with the team on programming strategy, platform development and marketing.
“I couldn’t be more excited to work with this talented team and build on their momentum, especially as we approach the launch of Paramount+,” Ryan further added. “Together, we will leverage ViacomCBS’s beloved portfolio of brands, strong content pipeline and an extensive network of partners to deliver must-watch on-demand, live and exclusive original programming to viewers everywhere.”
The ViacomCBS reshuffling comes after Disney, WarnerMedia, and ZEE have similarly moved to restructure their organizations with the aim of accelerating direct-to-consumer streaming strategies.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
