Former BBC Studios executive Jon Penn has joined Blue Ant Media as managing director of the company’s newly established Asia Pacific office.
Based in Sydney, Penn will be responsible for overseeing content sales and expanding the distribution of Blue Ant Media’s global branded channels, including the Love Nature brand and Blue Ant Media’s portfolio of FAST channels, which features NatureTime, HauntTV, Homeful, Love Pets, Total Crime, and HistoryTime.
He will lead teams in Sydney and Singapore, working with other new hires such as VP of distribution for Asia Jason Soh, international sales and acquisitions senior director Nick Solowski, and APAC programming and affiliate marketing senior specialist Morgan Jacobson.
Penn, who will report to global media head of commissioning Carlyn Staudt and co-president Mark Bishop, said Blue Ant Media’s “growing, high-quality television portfolio and commitment to world-class production and innovative distribution” made APAC role an exciting opportunity.
“I’m passionate about building new businesses in the Asia Pacific region and I’m looking forward to growing a dynamic team,” he said.
Penn joins Blue Ant Media from ACT Media Ventures, where he was a partner, while also operating his own advisory business, collaborating with a range of local and international media clients and advising on business growth strategy.
He previously completed advisory and agency work with Blue Ant Media, assisting with the launch of the Love Nature pay TV channel on Fetch TV and FAST channels HauntTV and Nature Time on Ten Play.
Prior to that, he spent 10 years with BBC Studios, including three years as EVP Asia Pacific for Global Distribution, where he oversaw all regional distribution including content sales, branded services, and ancillary business lines.
Staudt said Penn’ ” high-level experience” in growing revenue streams and market share would be invaluable in the expansion of Blue Ant Media’s business.
“The team Jon has established brings together international sales experience and a keen knowledge of the brand, which sets up an incredible opportunity to grow a multi-faceted sales hub in Asia Pacific that places customers first with a myriad of content solutions,” she said.
The Asia Pacific expansion follows Blue Ant Media’s announcement that it would merge production and distribution operations with marblemedia into one unified studio and rights business.