Media Play News
Bringing Entertainment Home
Media Play News
September 17, 2024
As part of our rebranded and reimagined 50 Women to Watch in the Digital Entertainment Business salute, we asked select honorees to answer a series of questions pertaining to leadership, culture and the digital entertainment business. Edited responses appear in the September 2024 issue of the monthly Media Play News, available in both print and digital form. The complete responses are running online only.
On Leadership
On Culture
On Measuring Success
On Facing Challenges
A good leader communicates clearly and makes decisions confidently, but, most importantly, builds trust and fosters an environment where individuals feel valued, supported and motivated to contribute to the team. I have an amazing, tight-knit team where everyone supports each other, and I genuinely believe that this unity starts at the top.
— Alanna Powers, Paramount Home Entertainment
A leader is a visionary with a flexible short-, medium- and long-term strategy — a person with high standards who is willing to challenge; who respects, trusts and rewards associates, who protects and defends them. A leader is someone who measures success by the company’s success not personal ego.
— Melissa Wohl, FilmRise
Good leaders are flexible, listen really well, and lead people strategically toward the future while embracing uncertainty and change. They set a clear and engaging vision, overcommunicate, and help their teams build resilience. Most important, good leaders know they can’t achieve success on their own and that a good team is invaluable.
— Andrea Downing, PBS Distribution
A leader is someone who assembles a team of people with exemplary yet complementary skill sets, and then empowers them to do what they do best.
— Alison Hoffman, Starz
An effective leader has a vision for success and understands what it takes to communicate that vision to their team. To earn the trust of their team, business partners and customers, a leader must embody core values of honesty and integrity. Next, they must inspire, motivate, empower, and support their team along the journey to success. I have had the opportunity to work with, and for, some truly incredible leaders during my career. While each had their own unique style, they all demonstrated these characteristics and genuinely cared about the people as much as the results.
— Heidi Turk, SDS
One of my biggest goals is to be the type of leader I would want to work for. That shapes the way that I lead each day because I believe we need to empower each individual on our team, and in our sphere of influence, to take ownership and deliver their very best work product. This happens through a focus on genuine relationships and honest, direct feedback. People want to be seen and heard – to know that what they do matters and that they’re valued. A way that great leaders do that is by recognizing and celebrating achievements and successes: even if they’re only milestones on the way to the ultimate goal. Prioritizing the growth and success of the individuals on your team and offering support and assistance where they need it creates an environment where they enjoy taking on new challenges that grow their skillset and their scope, while giving them the confidence to do something that might be new because they have your support. With my team, I tell them that I’m here to “block and tackle” for them – to help remove barriers for them in accomplishing their goals.
— Katherine Pond, Vizio
A leader is someone who not only inspires, motivates and listens but also gives her/his team the tools to succeed, someone who carves a path for their growth, takes responsibility and gives credit. A leader is someone who can admit they’re wrong; someone who cares.
— Nathalie Sawyer, Warner Bros. Discovery
Often, women in the workplace ask for permission. I encourage our team to dive in and participate, and I try to lead by example. We all come up with ideas that we hope will make DEG more effective and therefore, impactful for the industry. I’m lucky that we have the strongest team in DEG history. Marcy, Andi, Jean, Bekah and Meegan are the key reasons why we are in our 28th year.
— Amy Jo Smith, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group
A leader is a person who can both inspire and challenge whilst motivating and supporting our team as we progress towards our purpose. Ideally, they are surrounded by a team of thought leaders and partners who collectively solution together.
— Kim Overall, Sony Pictures Entertainment
To be a leader, you must be both a visionary who inspires and empowers your team to collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals, a strategist thinking several steps ahead at all times, and an effective communicator who is as good at listening as speaking.
— Erin Calhoun, Paramount Streaming
A successful leader is a person who is able to clearly communicate a goal or strategy and align a team or organization in pursuit of that goal. A good leader leads by example and inspires others to perform to the best of their best abilities, by providing guidance and an environment and culture where people feel challenged, seen, and valued.
— Jerrlyn Iwata, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
A leader is a person who helps teams or individuals achieve the best version of themselves, helps them to understand how to move past self-imposed limits and encourage a “get up and try again” attitude, when we fail. Goals worth achieving have long roads, set a plan, modify if needed and continue to push thru to success.
— Tina Eckman, Dolby Laboratories
A leader guides and inspires their teams and others to collectively meet the established vision and goals. I lead with kindness and encourage all to celebrate the wins — making decisions informed by insights, intuition and integrity that align with my value set. The challenges in our industry also present opportunities to adapt and to demonstrate leadership. I try to instill in my team the understanding that storytelling is key for effective communication – for external selling, internal advocacy, and leadership. To quote Martin Luther King Jr ., “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”
— Yolanda Macias, Cineverse
I believe today’s leaders must embrace diversity to bring new ideas to the table, foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, support continuous learning and a growth mindset, encourage clear communication and transparency, set clear goals for their teams and always lead by example.
— Amy Kuessner, Pluto TV
The best leaders are people who can synthesize and contextualize lots of diverse information, shape that into a vision, clearly communicate that vision, and make the tough decisions required to execute on the vision. They’re people who are curious and always learning and adapting. These people inspire us, direct us, lift us up, and see us through challenging times.
— Jennie Baird, BBC
A leader is someone who not only sets the vision and direction for the team but also leads from within, across, in front, and behind. As a leader, our key job is to take the organization from where we are to where we need to be. Leaders are only leaders if they are actually leading people. True leaders take the time to understand their teams—you can’t effectively serve a team you don’t know – what motivates them, what their needs are, etc. A leader embodies the qualities of a perfect team player but one willing to rise above and self-sacrifice for the greater good. I often smile when I hear the phrase “if you have to tell people you’re the leader, you’re not.” A true leader thrives in the triangle: empowering and enabling more senior leaders, peers, and the broader organization. I personally have chosen a servant leadership style, where I have prioritized the team needs over personal drivers, and serve within that “triangle” in a way that empowers people, and therefore the organization, to perform at their/its best.
— Erica Marie Dionne, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
As a leader, I prioritize speaking with my team to discuss their professional goals and interests. It is crucial to offer them help, support, guidance, and continual feedback. Leaders demonstrate that they believe in their team by encouraging growth, recognizing hard work, providing opportunities, and motivating employees with positive reinforcement.
— Liz Wright, Paramount Global
A leader is someone who can inspire, encourage, support, empathize and drive a team of individuals to achieve more than they ever could alone — someone who can rally a group of people around a vision and bring it to life.
— Jill Anderson, Lionsgate
A leader hires the right people, establishes the culture of the group, and defines the group’s mission and direction. A leader isn’t the person with all the answers — but one who counts on the team members to be the subject matter experts in their respective areas.
— Flory Bramnick, Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Peacock’s challenger spirit and core values play a critical role in defining our culture. These values — put people first, pursue excellence, build-learn-repeat, and act as one — are incorporated into how we work, are recognized and celebrated throughout the team, and are consistently modeled by our leaders.
— Kelly Campbell, Peacock
I’ve learned that we must be intentional about creating culture. For me, that starts with defining how we desire for the team to be seen both internally and externally and then constantly reinforcing that through word and action. In my organization, we have selected six words to define who we are and how we operate. Those words also guide who we hire. One of the things I’m most pleased with has been the opportunity to assemble a team of high-performing individuals who are not only incredibly intelligent and passionate about their work, but are also kind people who prioritize relationships. Hiring people who care about people is one of the best ways to build a culture that is full of empowerment, integrity, ownership, and innovation. Of course, building culture also involves spending time together: from axe throwing to escape rooms to boat cruises to ropes courses — we’ve done it all!
— Katherine Pond, Vizio
Hiring critical thinkers who are unafraid to express their ideas but are also curious and great listeners has created a culture of innovation and psychological safety.
— Alison Hoffman, Starz
I am extremely proud of the exceptional culture that UPHE has fostered. Our senior team is committed to a positive work environment guided by communication, respect, inclusion, and empowerment. We have cultivated a work culture where everyone at all levels is informed, engaged and aligned in driving the business forward.
— Hilary Hoffman, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
We started small and highly focused on building strong foundations, setting clear goals, and we were willing to take prudent risks to become the industry leader. Our culture is the direct result of carefully selected team members who possess the strengths needed for growth and understands the value of collaboration and cooperation.
— Melissa Wohl, FilmRise
Establishing a strong culture has been a priority from day one. It starts with creating an environment where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to contribute. We foster a culture of inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration, which is reflected in our diverse teams and innovative ideas. It’s about ensuring that our values align with our actions and that we’re consistently driving forward with integrity and a shared vision for the future.
— Amy Kuessner, Pluto TV
To come up with game-changing ideas, you have to be energized by the work you’re doing day in and day out. That’s why I’ve always believed in putting in the hard work but also making it fun. If you aren’t excited for what’s next, you won’t be inspired to make magic.
— Pamela Duckworth, Fubo
I lead by example, understanding that my behavior and approach to managing the business and problem-solving directly influence the team. I focus on what we can control and strive to ensure that every contribution is recognized and valued. By fostering collaboration and maintaining open communication, I build trust within the team, which can unlock great ideas from all levels of the organization.
— Alanna Powers, Paramount Home Entertainment
Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about what makes me excited to come to work and what has made me want to leave jobs in the past. I’ve tried to harness and further cultivate the building blocks I value most in reinforcing a positive culture, while having proactively worked to address and disarm unproductive, diminishing elements. It’s important for teams to see their leaders embody and consistently demonstrate the practices expected of them, so I try to lead by example. Be prepared. Do your best. Treat people with respect. Collaborate. Celebrate others. Say thank you. Provide constructive feedback. Be kind. Advocate. Listen. Be a good human. I think that exemplifying such ethos attracts like-minded people who operate similarly and creates a virtuous circle of teamwork, safety, support, learning.
— Jerrlyn Iwata, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Culture is a major priority for me. I strive to create an effective and uplifting culture by prioritizing business excellence and personal connections within my team nationwide. I believe in always being as transparent as possible to build trust and regularly checking in with my team to ensure they feel valued and supported.
— Erin Calhoun, Paramount Streaming
We create culture when we lead by example. The strong values you exhibit as a leader are the foundation for building a healthy workplace culture and the key to your successful leadership. Being transparent with your team is important, especially as you manage through change, which a lot of companies are currently faced with. Creating a safe and comfortable workplace culture for employees fosters loyalty and drives individual performance and productivity.
— Liz Wright, Paramount Global
I was very fortunate when I joined SDS. Eddie Cunningham and the leadership team had spent a great deal of time determining what kind of culture the company would create and maintain. The core values aligned with mine: belonging, celebration, humility, courage, leadership, accountability, listening, calculated risk. I’ve been able to add my own personal touches. SDS is an awesome company to work for!
— Heidi Turk, SDS
The culture here at Shout has always been a priority of our leadership. We strive for transparency, team work, inclusiveness, generous communication, commitment to achievement and honest feedback. These pillars are part of our DNA and incorporated in our training and messaging.
— Melissa Boag, Shout! Studios
At NBCUniversal, we firmly believe that our most valuable assets are our people — our human assets. Culture is the expression of how much we value those assets. I am a strong believer that culture is shaped from the top down. It’s an active choice that requires effort and time to establish, but it’s not difficult if approached with intention. The leadership team must embody and uphold the tenets of the culture. Personally, I’ve established culture in several ways. First, I made sure to embody and act on the values I expected from others before even communicating those expectations. The behavior I modeled as a leader contributed to the trust that is crucial for establishing a strong culture. Second, I clearly communicated what I expected in terms of values and behavior. At this point, I was simply articulating what I had already been modeling. I encouraged open dialogue among the team about how these values could be brought to life daily and how we could avoid violating them. The team chose to create a set of norms. Third, I recognized the importance of using models to build and reinforce cultural values. I made it a point to carve out time a couple of times a year to assess where the culture might be slipping or where more focus was needed. I then chose a framework and set a meeting time for the team to come together and leverage the framework to hyper focus on the area that needed reinforcement. Finally, I integrated culture into how I measure the team. It’s part of their goals and KPIs, making it an expectation, not an option. I prioritize rewarding behaviors that align with our values and addressing those that don’t. While it’s easy to reward positive behavior, the harder but necessary part of leadership is eliminating the culture killers. Failing to address negative behavior is noticed by the broader organization and can quickly spread, leading to significant issues for the team, department, or even the entire company.
— Erica Marie Dionne, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
We establish culture by defining our purpose and values as a team. At Sony, our purpose is greater than it has ever been with our shared goal to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.
— Kim Overall, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Above all, by always being authentic. I have always been and still am relentlessly passionate about my business, a fierce advocate of my clients and protective of my team.
— Nathalie Sawyer, Warner Bros. Discovery
Consistent and intentional focus on our people. We share a set of values that are deeply rooted in a passion for public media and respect for one another, while also instilling a culture of being nimble and adjusting to changing priorities.
— Andrea Downing, PBS Distribution
I’m a believer that the best way to create office culture is by being authentic. Allow people to feel comfortable and encourage them to participate. Let people know they are valued, welcome their input, and they will help establish the culture that best meets the demands of the business.
— Amy Jo Smith, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group
I came from a family-owned manufacturing business, so goals, expectations and work ethic were engrained in me. When I went into the workforce I listened and learned from remarkable people including mentors, bosses (current and previous) and colleagues. I recently asked an employee of mine what they appreciated about our current culture and her response was the open communication within our team and other teams. It’s important to value questions, concerns or ideas (no matter what it is) and work to problem solve a solution or a path forward.
— Michele Edelman, Premiere Digital
Working as a team and collaborating to reach higher and higher goals is very important to me. It’s a culture I’m most comfortable in. I’m fortunate that the leaders of the various functional areas of my team are most comfortable in that culture as well. It means I didn’t have to establish the culture. It came to be organically. To sustain this operating environment, I talk about it a lot — highlighting and commending people for working together to accomplish goals — and do my best to model the behavior that I want to encourage.
— Flory Bramnick, Sony Pictures Entertainment
I am fortunate to have worked with amazing executives during my career who taught valuable lessons and trusted me to explore new ideas. In my current role, I have had the opportunity to develop new initiatives. This is a rare opportunity, in my experience, and it has been exhilarating. I have been able to help shape a culture that is creative, motivated and just figures out how to push forward through several different types of challenges. The momentum we have achieved in a short time has been outstanding.
— Tina Eckman, Dolby Laboratories
I try to be a good listener and ask a lot of questions so people can feel seen and heard. I also try to make room for all of us to get to know each other and have time to laugh together — laughter is important to me so when we’re working on the hard things, it doesn’t feel as hard. Take the time to get to know a whole person — not just who they are at work, but also who they are at home, on the weekends, who they are outside of what we do during the workday. It gives perspective to know a lot more about a person and what they bring to the greater team. You can build your own unique culture by making sure all of those different skills, personality traits and gifts are being utilized by your whole team. We’re stronger when we all work together using our own unique perspectives to drive a greater collective result.
— Jill Anderson, Lionsgate
Culture is a combination of company values + team goals + distinctive personality. I build my product and business strategies around the company’s values and objectives and share that very openly with the teams I work with. I listen to the teams as much as I hope they listen to me. I communicate and overcommunicate — and lean into visual storytelling wherever possible. I hold myself and others to a very high standard, so for me a culture of constant feedback – delivered directly and with courtesy — is also important.
— Jennie Baird, BBC
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Success has many dimensions. Whether in my personal or professional life, measuring progress, achieving set goals and making meaningful impacts are all benchmarks by which I hold myself accountable. At UPHE, I am constantly challenged to evaluate, innovate and embrace change. While revenue generation is the ultimate indicator of success, as a marketing team, I also weigh our success by how well we collectively align on our vision and values in advancing our business objectives.
— Hilary Hoffman, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
I feel success is measured by setting meaningful goals and making progress towards them. It is about aligning your company’s priorities with your team’s actions and accomplishments.
— Erin Calhoun, Paramount Streaming
Long-term sustainability for the public media ecosystem. The ecosystem is complex, and we work hard to align around strategies that lift the system and that are consumer focused. One of the most important things is how we listen to one another, understand the challenges we individually and collectively face, and collaborate to achieve results that drive success for the entire system.
— Andrea Downing, PBS Distribution
Success starts with making and acquiring great quality films and series — for all types of consumers, in knowing the audience and the dynamic landscape, and then distributing to both drive revenue and support the ecosystem of platforms, channels and accounts in their goals and consumers to satisfying experiences.
— Melissa Boag, Shout! Studios
I measure success by asking are we continually learning and growing both individually and collectively and are we creating distinctly different and complimentary capabilities for the studio.
— Kim Overall, Sony Pictures Entertainment
To me, a big measure of success is building a team of experts who cooperate with one another, who respect clients and who value the work-life balance. That environment produces a team that consistently meets and exceeds challenging goals, is nimble to change in the marketplace, and delivers long-term, stable profitability.
— Melissa Wohl, FilmRise
That’s s a tough question as success can look very different depending on the benchmarks you put in place when you were goal setting. From a business perspective, we’re always trying to drive incremental growth and opportunity wherever possible with all of our partners. From a people perspective, I want to ensure my team is continually growing, learning and developing their core competencies, while also finding space where they can have autonomy and establish their own style of leadership. If we’re hitting our numbers, we feel supported and encouraged by each other, while having some fun together in the process – I would call that success.
— Jill Anderson, Lionsgate
Throughout my career, I’ve used the framework of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to align businesses and teams around a set of target outcomes. This is particularly valuable at Peacock, where we collaborate with teams across NBCUniversal to drive results and create long term business value.
— Kelly Campbell, Peacock
Success can be as simple as a goal achieved. It is easy to measure. For me, true success has been an environment where I can explore new creative ways to grow my business and inspire others to be the best version of themselves. Work hard, play hard and appreciate the special moments along the way!
— Tina Eckman, Dolby Laboratories
For me, success is when I am living my life in alignment with my values, performing to the best of my abilities, and making a positive impact — professional, personal, emotional — on those around me.
— Jerrlyn Iwata, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Success is meeting goals, of course; but, doing so by thinking beyond one’s own self-interest and instead working on behalf of the larger good (i.e., the company, in this case). Success involves team members working together openly and transparently to reach higher than what’s expected.
— Flory Bramnick, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Happiness, balance and love. If you have this in your life, everything else will fall in place. I know this sounds very woo-woo and unscientific but after many years in business it’s the one thing that worked.
— Michele Edelman, Premiere Digital
I measure success through various lenses, from short-term wins, such as productive team engagements or swift decision-making to broader milestones, like meeting financial targets or personal goals. Equally important in measuring success is the value of fostering strong relationships, whether by collaborating with filmmakers and creatives to realize shared visions, forming strategic partnerships to enhance campaigns, or empowering teams to achieve their goals.
— Alanna Powers, Paramount Home Entertainment
The most important measure of success is the bottom line. If a business isn’t financially sound, there is no business. That said, creating a healthy, safe and motivating work environment where individuals can thrive is a key barometer of success.
— Amy Jo Smith, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group
Clearly meeting your goals with measurable results/KPIs can be a form of success. But, I like to celebrate the mini successes that have an impact toward the greater goal. The path or journey is as important as the end goal. Each mini win is a contribution, and all teams should see their impact in achieving those objectives. I believe that meeting the goal is not a measurement of success if it doesn’t align with your values.
— Yolanda Macias, Cineverse
Success is different for everyone and different at each stage of someone’s life. Meeting or exceeding financial goals is just table stakes in business these days. For me, success is continuously finding ways to add value; whether it’s a strategic idea that pays off tenfold and increase the company’s revenue or whether it’s a simple favor, an act of kindness that will make someone’s day easier, they each play a part in some level of fulfilment. It’s all we can strive for.
— Nathalie Sawyer, Warner Bros. Discovery
The measurements of success continue to change as the industry evolves. As we move forward in the new space of consolidated distribution, our success will be measured by our ability to drive operational efficiency, reduce costs, maintain exceptional service levels and innovate while exceeding retailer and partner expectations. On the personal front, I believe the measure of success is defined by your values; who you are, what’s important to you, your family and friends, and how you ‘show up’ every day. For me, that means being present, having integrity, being loyal and dependable and always looking for a way to brighten the day of others. I love the quote by Albert Einstein, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
— Heidi Turk, SDS
Every initiative begins with us asking “what will success look like in the end.” That creates discipline around setting quantitative and qualitative goals for everything we do. It also helps us edit our actions. If we can’t envision a measurable outcome, we need to rethink why we’re doing something in the first place.
— Alison Hoffman, Starz
As the CFO, much of the success I monitor is tied to our financial performance. Beyond that, though, I have found that it has been extremely beneficial to implement Objections and Key Results (OKRs) to benchmark the team’s effectiveness and ensure employees have clear milestones that keep them motivated to reach their overall goals.
— Liz Wright, Paramount Global
While success can be defined in terms of industry achievements, work, or goal setting, for me, success is about the bigger picture — setting and maintaining my personal targets which serve to positively impact the areas that to me matter most. I define success as having a clear understanding of the inputs and weights that make up my personal equation. While we strive to achieve 100% of our goals, it’s not always easy to hit that mark. This is often because we don’t fully grasp our priorities. The inputs and weights in each of our personal equations of success may change over time, but remaining mindful of our individual priorities at any given moment will help us allocate them more accurately. Priorities can’t be all work-related; success in life requires balance and means recognizing what drives you, what you value, and what you deem to be most important and necessary at any given time—whether today, this week, this month, or at this stage of life. True success comes from striving to excel in those essential areas, having a level of awareness of how/when they change, and giving yourself the grace to acknowledge the change and pivot with it. A few weeks ago, an early-career colleague asked me if I had any regrets. I thought long and hard and realized that my lack of regrets isn’t because I wouldn’t have done things differently with the benefit of hindsight — it’s because I’ve been fortunate enough to have a strong sense of purpose in life. Purpose isn’t tied to any particular job or accomplishing a specific goal; it’s about knowing what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and how you can leverage these strengths to achieve success at different moments in life. I’ve also learned that experiencing success in life only truly happens when gratitude is a core part of your daily approach, and when investing in others is central to your experience. Great success is never achieved alone, and it’s never enjoyed alone. Frankly, achieving a goal in isolation falls short of true success. Striving to and accomplishing something together is the only way to experience success.
— Erica Marie Dionne, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
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The current media landscape is in a state of flux as many companies are recalibrating their monetization models to be in sync with consumers as they continue to move away from traditional linear models and where broadcast, VOD and FAST formats are all vying for the same-size pie. We are experiencing a reinventing of the wheel, so to speak, and the challenge is to be nimble and ubiquitous as the new normal is a place where audience behaviors and consumption preferences constantly change.
— Melissa Wohl, FilmRise
Our main challenge is time — finding the right audiences for our content and getting enough of their time and attention to transact among the endless choices we have to entertain ourselves. Most people I talk to these days say they are pressed to find enough spare time in their day to do all the things they ultimately want to do, including watching TV and movies.
— Jill Anderson, Lionsgate
Over this past year we’ve seen the strong reemergence of theatrical as a major driver in our overall business. Consumers have returned to theaters in response to great content and an expanded slate. With that increase in volume comes opportunity, but also the unique challenge of “winning the consumer” in an environment filled with entertainment options all competing for consumers’ time and dollars. With an ever-evolving digital landscape, including SVOD, AVOD, FAST, and more, as well as potential economic headwinds, we are challenged to innovate and rethink how we reach and connect with consumers to drive our business forward.
— Alanna Powers, Paramount Home Entertainment
In a constantly changing media landscape, and as a niche business, we are focused on ways we can continue to grow and diversify revenues. Consumer viewing is fragmented across many platforms, and we need to meet consumers where they are and expand into new platforms FAST, including fan favorites PBS Retro and PBS Antiques Roadshow. We must remain flexible and ready to pivot as opportunities arise for public media.
— Andrea Downing, PBS Distribution
Our industry in particular is experiencing rapid change and disruption, with expected consolidation on the studio and streaming side, shifting ad budgets, and continued integration of AI across content creation, distribution and promotion. Those who come out on the other side of these challenges are the companies which are positioned to see where the winds are blowing, and embrace, rather than run from, new technologies that will shape our business for years to come – while also ensuring that they don’t lose sight of creators and their art.
— Yolanda Macias, Cineverse
Creatives always face the challenge of how to make their content stand out. Our industry is a facing a pivotal moment with the momentum in generative AI. I look forward to seeing how creatives work to engage and adapt with AI to create new impactful content.
— Pamela Duckworth, Fubo
The business is facing many challenges that all tie together and ultimately affect audience migration and consumer behavior, resulting in weak earnings and mixed economic outlooks.
— Michele Edelman, Premiere Digital
All companies and organizations that support major content owners and platforms are being challenged to prove their value in an increasingly conservative fiscal environment or risk becoming obsolete. DEG strives to meet that challenge by maximizing collaboration across industry sectors in a way that will yield improved consumer experience and growth for platforms, content owners and technology partners.
— Amy Jo Smith, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group
The way entertainment content is consumed today is changing at an increasingly accelerated pace, so we need to challenge and disrupt our established strategies faster than ever, continually testing and evaluating different ideas to optimize our revenue against a backdrop of fluctuating release windows and competing licensing models.
— Nathalie Sawyer, Warner Bros. Discovery
Navigating industry evolution whilst keeping pace with technological advances and the changing consumer viewership behaviors, ensuring we architect the right roadmap of data capabilities to enable our leaders’ vision for SPE.
— Kim Overall, Sony Pictures Entertainment
The single biggest challenge in the media industry is change. We are witnessing an unprecedented pace of transformation, bringing both disruptive opportunities and challenges. This change is reshaping how we do business — introducing new technologies, streamlining processes, creating more ways to produce and distribute content, expanding access to audiences, and unlocking new revenue streams. However, this same change is also leading to destabilization. People are questioning the value they bring, redefining their roles within the industry, and companies are facing new competitors. The faster consumption of content at lower costs is disrupting traditional monetization models, making it harder to sustain previous revenue streams while simultaneously providing new opportunities. While the media industry has always experienced change, the speed at which it’s happening now is unlike anything we’ve seen before. In the coming years, technology will likely outpace the ability of larger organizations to adapt quickly enough to manage these shifts effectively. The challenge lies in not just keeping up but in leading the way through this era of rapid evolution.
— Erica Marie Dionne, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
At our launch, SDS was extremely excited to bring Universal, Warner Bros and Paramount home entertainment distribution into our joint venture. This year, we’re honored and privileged to bring into the fold distribution services for Sony, Disney, Lionsgate, Fox and others at Walmart. Our most significant challenge, yet one for which we are completely ready, will be maintaining the best-in-class service that our distribution partners, retailers and consumers have come to expect; while continuing to innovate in a mature business. We cannot wait to show what we can do!
— Heidi Turk, SDS
There are so many pressure points that we will need to navigate in the coming year — continuing to optimize distribution and profits to fund future slates in the face of shifting consumer preferences and consumption patterns; uncertain economic, political, and regulatory environments; the steady pressure of competitive business models and content offerings; balancing the utilization of emerging technologies to improve efficiencies and supporting creativity without compromising the rights and ingenuity of our storytellers — all while trying to be thoughtful and innovative and not just reactive to changes in our business.
— Jerrlyn Iwata, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
The headwinds are strong across all media businesses that are not part of a big tech platform. Audience behaviors are changing, monetization models are challenged, and there are big questions about whether AI, particularly GenAI, is going to help or harm our businesses.
— Jennie Baird, BBC
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