BBC Studios Appoints Awesomeness Executive to Lead Americas, Replacing Ann Sarnoff

BBC Studios has appointed former Awesomeness co-head Rebecca Glashow to lead the company’s activities in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

Based in New York, Glashow will begin her new role as president of BBC Studios Americas on June 1, reporting directly into Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution at BBC Studios.  She replaces former president Ann Sarnoff, who joined Warner Bros. Entertainment as chief executive last year.

Most recently, Glashow was the co-head of Viacom’s Gen Z-focused entertainment division Awesomeness, where she led business operations and revenue including sales, marketing, research, distribution and production.

Before that, Glashow was chief strategy and distribution officer of Awesomeness, where she oversaw global distribution, studio operations and business development.

Glashow has also held various leadership roles at Discovery Communications. In her last role, she served as senior VP of digital distribution and partnerships, overseeing the strategy and operations for Discovery’s digital video business, including launching Discovery’s suite of mobile apps, OTT services, interactive experiences and streaming content offerings.

She also led the company’s content negotiations across digital and traditional platforms, and partnered with the international division to set the global digital strategy. Before Discovery, Glashow held executive roles at Comcast and InDemand.

Glashow will also work closely with Matt Forde, managing director for international production and formats, whose Los Angeles-based production unit produces “Dancing with the Stars” and the “Life Below Zero” franchise among others.

In the Americas, BBC Studios operates six offices in the region, and a key production base in Los Angeles.  The company secures co-production partnerships and content sales, as well as operating franchise management, consumer products, licensing, education, and cinema and live events businesses.

Across the region, BBC  Studios manages joint venture relationships with AMC Networks for flagship channel BBC America; with ITV for SVoD service BritBox; and strategic partnerships with Blue Ant Media for BBC Earth Channel (Canada) and Corus for BBC Canada (Canada), as well as a production partnership with Endemol Shine in Brazil.