Fifth Season hires ITVS exec amid sales rejig

Fifth Season has appointed a senior sales exec from ITV Studios to oversee TV distribution in the EMEA region. 

Reporting to executive vice-president of TV distribution Jennifer Ebell and based out of the Towards Zero sales outfit’s TV distribution headquarters in London, David Wilcox will lead the regional sales team with responsibility for driving sales and identifying new commercial opportunities across linear, digital and co-productions. He joins as senior vice-president of sales, EMEA.

Wilcox has spent seven years at ITVS, most recently in the same role, leading the content sales team and working on pre-sale and co-production strategies.

Previously, he was vice-president of Nordics and Benelux for four years at NBCUniversal’s TV distribution division, having began his career at ITVS, where he spent nine years working for its sales division across multiple territories.

Ebell said Wilcox’s “deep experience and strong relationships across EMEA make him the perfect choice to drive our ambitions in these key markets.”

Wilcox added: “The ambitious team has a creative approach to distribution and a reputation for delivering best in class content, and I look forward to driving new opportunities with EMEA partners to amplify the success of the premium slate.”

In related news, Severance producer Fifth Season has also expanded the remits of fellow sales executives Alistair Jennings and Travis Webb.

Senior vice-president of APAC sales Jennings will add ‘partnerships’ to his title, becoming the primary liaison between the TV distribution team, its two investment partners CJ ENM and Toho, and internal departments. He will also support the regional content strategy by managing relationships with partner producers and scouting new IP and acquisition leads.

LA-based senior vice-president of sales for the Americas, Webb, will now also oversee the global home entertainment and digital strategy, driving growth across DVD, aggregation, and streaming platforms.

In June, the company brought on former Number 9 Films and Paramount executive Kate Laffey as senior vice-president of acquisitions, with executive director of acquisitions Liz Tang exiting to join Fox last month.