NEW YORK—ViacomCBS is reorganizing its streaming leadership, as the company has announced that Pluto TV CEO Tom Ryan will take over the role of president and CEO for ViacomCBS Streaming, effective immediately.
Subsequently, Marc DeBevoise is stepping down from his role as chief digital officer for ViacomCBS and president and CEO of ViacomCBS Digital. He will continue to serve in an advisory capacity for the rest of 2020, per ViacomCBS.
As the head of ViacomCBS Streaming, Ryan will oversee CBS All Access, which will relaunch as Paramount+ in early 2021, as well as continue leading Pluto TV, which he founded in 2014. His expanded role will include global oversight of ViacomCBS’s streaming strategy. This includes partnering with ViacomCBS Content Council to accelerate what the company calls “a franchise-driven content strategy across the company’s streaming ecosystem” and making ViacomCBS multiplatform content providers.
In addition, ViacomCBS has also announced that Kelly Day, COO, ViacomCBS Networks International, is expanding her role as the new president of Streaming for VCNI. She will work with Ryan and David Lynn, president and CEO of VCNI, on ViacomCBS’s international streaming expansion, which will include the debut of Paramount+ in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics in 2021, and the international rollout of Pluto TV. Day is replacing Pierluigi Gazzolo, who is stepping down as president, Streaming and Studios, VCNI, to pursue other interests, according to the company’s announcement.
CBS, prior to its merger with Viacom, got into streaming with CBS All Access and Showtime OTT prior to the surge of new streaming services in the last year. However, newer services like Disney+, Peacock and HBO Max have had more immediate impact.
“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,” said Bob Bakish, president and CEO of ViacomCBS. “As we plan for the launch of Paramount+, 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. We will draw on the breadth and depth of ViacomCBS’ franchises and branded IP to deliver an extraordinary collection of diverse content with the convenience consumers want.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to work with this talented team and build on their momentum, especially as we approach the launch of Paramount+,” added Ryan. “Together, we will leverage ViacomCBS’ beloved portfolio of brands, strong content pipeline and extensive network of partners to deliver must-watch on-demand, live and exclusive original programming to viewers everywhere.”
