TORONTO – Sony Pictures Television exec Todd Miller is to lead Celestial Tiger Entertainment, the Asian pay TV operator launched last month by Celestial Pictures, Saban Capital Group and Lionsgate, as president and COO.
Miller was most recently executive vp of networks, Asia Pacific, for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing around 25 TV networks and channel investments across the region.
Joining Miller in Hong Kong is Ed Stansfield, CFO and senior vp of business development, and Ofanny Choi, who is promoted from Celestial Pictures to executive vp of TV Networks.
Also joining the Asian media venture is Wendy Reeds, executive vp of content sales and distribution, who will lead content licensing activities worldwide as well as selling Lionsgate film and TV releases and library content in southeast Asia and China.
Reeds previously led Lionsgate’s international home entertainment sales division.
And Andy Chang becomes senior vp of marketing, after overseeing worldwide marketing at Celestial Pictures, Asian marketing at Sony Pictures Television and international marketing at MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.
And rounding out the Celestial Tiger Entertainment management team is Jef Lim, head of programming and production, who previously headed content development and production for Mark Burnett Production Asia.
To get the branded channel venture off the ground, Lionsgate is contributing its interest in an existing partnership with Saban Capital called Tigersgate, which operates three existing channels and will license titles from its 13,000-picture library of movies and TV shows.
Celestial Pictures is contributing two existing channels and a video-on-demand service and will license content from its film library.
“Todd’s experience, achievements and relationships in Asia and beyond is exactly the leadership we are looking for to help realize our goals for Celestial Tiger Entertainment,” Adam Chesnoff, president and COO of Saban Capita, said in a statement.
