Reemah Sakaan appointed president of 5

Paramount has unveiled former BritBox chief Reemah Sakaan as 5’s new president.

Sakaan will join 5 on 27 January and will report into Kevin MacLellan, Paramount’s president for international and global content distribution.

She will lead the PSB and oversee its growth strategy as it continues to build its presence in streaming, an area in which Sakaan has significant experience having worked previously on iPlayer, ITVX and BritBox. 

5’s chief content officer Ben Frow will report into Sakaan, as will the broadcaster’s commercial distribution and product teams. She will also work in close partnership with Paramount’s president of international ad sales Lee Sears.

Sakaan has more than two decades of experience in streaming, global content and public service television and was a founder, and the chief creative officer, of BritBox when it launched in 2017.

She scaled the venture internationally and was appointed global chief executive officer in 2020 and the business grew annually by 25% under her leadership.

She had also negotiated supply deals with Amazon, Apple, Google and Comcast, and commissioned and co-produced a wide range of returnable British originals for the streaming service, including Irvine Welsh’s Crime, After the Flood and Beyond Paradise.

In 2024, Sakaan oversaw BBC Studios’ acquisition of ITV’s share of the business before stepping down in 2025.

Prior to BritBox, Sakaan held senior roles such as director of marketing and media for ITV, where she helped to launch ITVX forerunner ITV Hub, and was head of marketing for BBC1 and part of the launch team for iPlayer.

She succeeds former president Sarah Rose, who left Paramount at the end of 2025 to join The Royal Foundation as chief executive.

MacLellan said Sakaan “brings a wealth of experience in streaming, content and commercial strategy and I look forward to working closely with her to deliver the next phase of 5’s growth journey”.

Sakaan said she has “long admired 5’s exceptional understanding of its audience”, adding: “It consistently punches above its weight and is loved by viewers, advertisers and UK creatives as a place for authentic and resonant British storytelling.”

Sakaan had previously been mooted as a strong contender for the Channel 4 chief executive position, which was filled recently by Priya Dogra.