ViacomCBS has restructured its streaming operations with a global lens: Tom Ryan, currently CEO of Pluto TV, will assume the role of president and CEO of the newly created ViacomCBS Streaming, overseeing CBS All Access, which will relaunch as Paramount Plus in early 2021, as well as Pluto TV.
Marc DeBevoise will step down from his roles as ViacomCBS’s chief digital officer and president-CEO of ViacomCBS Digital. DeBevoise will serve in an advisory capacity through the end of 2020.
The changes are effective immediately. The media conglomerate said the integrated structure will “ensure a more holistic approach across both free and pay streaming,” as well as more closely align the company’s streaming initiatives globally and enhance its ability to “leverage the cross-house franchise and content strength of ViacomCBS to seize the global opportunity in streaming.”
ViacomCBS also announced that Pierluigi Gazzolo will step down from his position as president, streaming and studios, at ViacomCBS Networks International “to pursue other interests.”
Kelly Day, VCNI’s COO, will assume an expanded role as president of streaming for VCNI, overseeing all non-U.S. digital and streaming platforms. She will work with Ryan and David Lynn, president and CEO of VCNI, on ViacomCBS’s international streaming expansion, including on the planned rollout of Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics in 2021, as well as the ongoing international rollout of Pluto TV.
“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,” Bob Bakish, president and CEO of ViacomCBS, said in announcing the changes. “As we plan for the launch of Paramount Plus, 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 streaming businesses worldwide. He will now also oversee the rebranding of CBS All Access into Paramount Plus, working in concert with the ViacomCBS Content Council to develop a franchise-driven content strategy across the company’s streaming platforms.
The restructuring, according to the company, formally makes ViacomCBS’s studios “multiplatform content providers.”
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