Kim Kelleher, chief commercial officer, AMC Networks: This year absolutely underscored the value of partnerships and longstanding mutually beneficial relationships in helping to navigate a shifting media landscape. As a team, we have learned to work outside our comfort zone—challenging ourselves to rethink longstanding structures and processes—to approach all partnerships through what we are seeing in real time today, not what we have seen in the past.
Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks: I’ve relearned the wisdom of Hannah Arendt’s belief that great “storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.” Whether it is Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ portrayal of an untold story of a Black American hero or the deeply emotional mental health narratives in Wolf Pack, the power of the storytelling comes from the nuance of the writing and the extraordinary talent of our casts.
Peter Olsen, president of ad sales, A+E Networks: Maintaining a positive culture matters more than ever in this time of disruption.
Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal: 2023 served as a reminder that change is not only inevitable but can happen seemingly overnight. It is essential to surround yourself with strong leaders and trusted partners who have the courage and enthusiasm to collaborate and innovate side-by-side with you for the betterment of the industry. While change is the constant, the goal of making our advertisers’ marketing more effective is what drives us every day.
Shelby Saville, chief investment officer, Publicis Media Exchange: I learned that determining a currency and alternative audience measurement systems will continue to be a difficult task. The marketplace and investment infrastructure are extremely complex, so finding one system that works across all screens or every client KPI doesn’t currently exist.
Amy Reisenbach, president, CBS Entertainment: We are thrilled with the performance of the 90-minute episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race. It really taught us we can experiment more with the schedule.
Dina Roman, svp of global ad sales, Fubo: In a sports-first, live-TV streaming environment like Fubo, managing concurrency is essential. There can be massive, sometimes unexpected spikes in viewership in a single hour, as opposed to AVOD or SVOD formats. It’s critical that from an advertising perspective, we are always prepared to deliver a seamless ad experience and monetize our live sports content effectively.
Rob Sharenow, president of programming, A+E Networks: I was reminded of the truism from Field of Dreams that applies to our industry: If you build it, they will come. We had great success with a lot of new formats that have connected with audiences. I’m extremely proud of our team because, since Covid-19 hit, we’ve launched at least 10 new series that have already reached the 100-episode mark.
