LIONSGATE NAMES LEADING DISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE JARED GOETZ TO NEWLY-CREATED POSITION OF PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION

Appointment of 22-Year Disney Executive Reflects Continued Rapid Growth of Lionsgate's Television Distribution Operations

SANTA MONICA, Calif., and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) has named leading distribution executive Jared Goetz, a 22-year veteran of Walt Disney Company, to the newly-created position of President of North American Television Distribution, it was announced today by Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer, to whom he will report.

The appointment comes as Lionsgate continues to ramp up its domestic and international sales and distribution operations to handle one of the largest independent television businesses in the world, a film slate that encompasses over 40 theatrical releases a year, a 16,000-title film and television library and a roster of programming from Starz, which Lionsgate acquired in December 2016. Mr. Goetz will head the team responsible for licensing Lionsgate and Starz content across all broadcast, cable, pay-tv, subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) and other digital platforms in the U.S. and Canada.

"I have known Jared for his entire career, and he is one of the most accomplished executives in the business," said Mr. Packer. "He has managed every kind of content licensing deal to every platform imaginable, and his grasp of the marketplace and where it's headed will be a great catalyst for our continued growth. His knowledge, relationships and major studio experience make him an invaluable addition to our leadership team."

"I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best distribution executives in the business," said Mr. Goetz. "I look forward to using what I have learned from each of them to continue developing an already strong distribution team at Lionsgate. I've been deeply impressed by the rapid growth of Lionsgate's content engine and the entrepreneurial spirit driving that growth. I couldn't be more excited to become part of such an innovative and forward-looking studio."

Prior to joining Lionsgate, Mr. Goetz worked for 22 years in a series of executive roles at Disney culminating in his most recent position as Senior Vice President, Pay Television & Digital Sales, and General Sales Manager SVOD for Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution.  He has been part of the leadership team distributing all of the Disney companies' film and television properties to an array of media platforms and businesses, including electronic home video license, video-on-demand, pay television, subscription video-on-demand, mobile, broadband and other digital technologies.

During his tenure, he has licensed countless Disney-produced films and television series to national cable channels and local broadcast stations. He was responsible for the sales of first-run syndicated hits including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Live with Regis and Kelly as well as off-network series such as Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Lost and Home Improvement. He also managed day-to-day sales of all theatrical and television content to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Google and Bell Media's CRAVE TV in North America and spearheaded significant recent SVOD deals for The Golden Girls, black-ish, Quantico, American Crime and a global sale of How To Get Away With Murder.

In 2011, Mr. Goetz was named to Home Entertainment's "Forty Under 40" list of future industry leaders. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Middlebury College in Vermont.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company's worldwide consumer base.  

For more information, please contact:

Peter Wilkes
Lionsgate
[email protected] 
(310) 255-3726

or

Cristina Castañeda
Lionsgate
[email protected] 
(310) 255-5114

SOURCE Lionsgate