Tony Goncalves Appointed CEO Of Otter Media

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tony Goncalves is joining Otter Media as CEO of the company. The Chernin Group — majority owner of Otter Media — made the appointment today.   

"Tony has been our partner on Otter Media for almost four years, and during that time, it was evident that he is a thoughtful, strategic executive who is hugely passionate about furthering the growth of one of the premier digital media companies," said Peter Chernin, Chairman, Otter Media and CEO, The Chernin Group. "Over the last six months, we started discussing having Tony join Otter full-time, and we are delighted that he has agreed to assume the role of CEO. We know he will apply his formidable talents to help us take this company to the next level."

"I'm honored to join Otter Media. I'm passionate about this company and industry segment, and I'm excited to work with the incredibly talented teams within Otter Media's portfolio at Ellation, Fullscreen, Rooster Teeth, Crunchyroll, VRV, Gunpowder & Sky, and Hello Sunshine. Together, we'll expand Otter's leadership in the digital media space," said Goncalves. "These innovative companies have already hit impressive milestones. I look forward to building on this stellar foundation to create a scaled global, digital-first, fan-centric media company."

Currently, Otter Media engages more than 90 million unique viewers per month, and totaled almost 100 billion video views in 2017.

Goncalves brings a unique skill set to Otter, having worked at the intersection of digital business, premium content, and consumer engagement for the majority of his career. He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer, Digital Brands for AT&T where he oversaw the Otter Media relationship with The Chernin Group and led the strategy for the company's entry into OTT with DIRECTV NOW. Prior to AT&T he held a number of roles at DIRECTV. While there he founded and led the company's digital products division where he spearheaded the shift to mobile video and innovation outside the traditional content distribution space, including the launch of the NFL Sunday Ticket OTT product.

Jesse Jacobs, President, The Chernin Group stated: "Tony has been an instrumental part of our journey at Otter Media. His strategic expertise and intuition have been vital in driving Otter's rapid growth over the past four years, and we know the company is in safe hands under his leadership. We are thrilled for him to take the reins and lead our next phase of success. This is only the beginning."

Goncalves serves on the Advisory Board of his alma mater, the Iona College Hagan School of Business, is a member of the CommonSense Media NY Advisory Council, a nonprofit dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, and a supporter of Upwardly Global, a grassroots organization based in NY that assists skilled immigrants in securing work in the US.

About Otter Media
Otter Media is a venture formed in 2014 to acquire, invest in and launch global over-the-top (OTT) media services. Otter aims to take advantage of the rapid growth of online video services and emerging social fandoms. One of the strategic focuses of the venture is to invest in and build advertising and digital media services for targeted audiences.

Otter Media's portfolio includes Fullscreen, a leading global youth media and social marketing company; Rooster Teeth, a pioneering digital content producer; Ellation, Otter's SVOD-focused company which manages Crunchyroll, the world's leading global subscription and ad-supported video platform for Japanese anime, and VRV, a multichannel video platform built for a community of fans who love anime, animation, gaming, comedy, fantasy and technology; Gunpowder & Sky, an award-winning independent global studio, dedicated to creating, marketing and distributing video content unrestricted by form, genre or platform; and Hello Sunshine (minority), a cross-platform brand and content company for women founded by Reese Witherspoon.

SOURCE The Chernin Group