Brian Weiss will work across Lifetime and History Channel operator’s content operations
A+E Global Media has hired Brian Weiss from US channels operator Tegna to oversee its linear, FAST and digital expansion.
Weiss becomes executive vice president of strategy and business development and will work with A+E’s sales, FAST and international teams to monetise the company’s 70,000-hour content library.
His remit includes vetting new ventures and building investment cases, as well as leading business intelligence, planning, and systems initiatives, including the deployment of automation and AI.
Disney and Heart-owned A+E, which hired Wells Fargo to explore its strategic options earlier this year, is looking to adapt to changing viewing habits at its networks, which include A&E and History Channel and Lifetime. The company already operates 60 FAST channels.
Weiss reports into president of global content licensing and international, Steve MacDonald, who said the exec offered “a rare mix of deal-making savvy and operating depth”.
MacDonald added: “He turns complex, multilayered agreements into durable partnerships, balances stakeholder needs with a transparent, data-driven approach, and connects storytelling with distribution to grow audiences and revenue. That skill set will unlock new value across our linear, digital, FAST and international businesses.”
Weiss joins having been vice president of entertainment programming and networks at Tegna, where he oversaw the True Crime Network, Quest, and Twist, as well as the Vault Studios originals division and syndicated programming.
Before that he was president at Cooper Holdings and part of the original management team that developed and launched Justice Network in 2015 and Quest three years later.
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