Ben Cox.
Ben Cox has been named vice president and general manager for Nickelodeon Networks Australia and New Zealand. He takes over the role from Jihee Nam, who is leaving the company at the end of January.
Cox will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Nickelodeon’s brands, including its hour subscription television networks, digital platforms, live events, recreation destinations, consumer products, local production and program sales. His appointment was announced today by Ben Richardson, sr. vice president and general manager, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Australia and New Zealand, to whom Cox will report.
Cox has spent over a decade working in subscription television, joining Nickelodeon Networks after serving as the GM of content aggregation at Foxtel. Prior to this, he served as Foxtel’s head of channel partnerships and business development manager. He has also worked as a strategy analyst and a product manager at Austar.
Cox is also an alternate director on the board of Nickelodeon Australia Management Pty Ltd, the joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and Foxtel that operates all Nickelodeon-branded businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
“Ben has always championed the value kids’ brands bring to Foxtel, and he comes into this role with a nuanced expertise I’m confident will continue to drive Nickelodeon’s success,” said Richardson.
“His familiarity with our business combined with a top-notch reputation makes him the perfect choice to lead the Nickelodeon business in Australia and New Zealand.”
During his time at Foxtel, Cox worked on several intiatives directed at children and youth. He played a key role in the November 2015 launch of the Nick Play app, which offered Australian kids access to Nickelodeon-themed videos, original short-form animation and games as well as full-length episodes. Cox also managed content aggregation for the December 2016 launch of the Foxtel Kids app.
In 2014, he worked with Viacom International Media Networks to maximise the distribution growth of Nick Jr. when the pre-school channel moved into the basic Entertainment Pack.
“As one of the most globally recognised and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family, Nickelodeon has been a trailblazer in Australia for over 20 years. I’m looking forward to joining a passionate and kid-centric team that consistently creates innovative entertainment experiences for both kids and kids-at-heart,” said Cox.