BBC STUDIOS NAMES TARA MAITRA AS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER AND JENNIFER BALL AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING IN NEWLY CREATED ROLES TO BOLSTER BRAND IN THE U.S.
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New York, NY – Today BBC Studios – Americas announces the appointments of Tara Maitra as Chief Commercial Officer and Jennifer Ball as Senior Vice President, Marketing. Both newly created roles have been established to bolster the BBC brand and its portfolio of IP across content partners and audiences directly. Maitra will lead the commercial growth strategy for the U.S. by identifying new revenue-generating opportunities and impactful partnerships, while amplifying the existing licensing, home entertainment, and BBC Learning businesses. Maitra will also oversee operations. Ball will focus on elevating the company’s audience-first marketing and media strategy to deliver value to key global partners, as well as the BBC brand.
The news comes on the heels of the recent BBC Studios announcement to launch BBC SELECT, the company’s latest digital streaming channel focused on culture, politics, and ideas, early this year – which Maitra and Ball will be supporting in their respective roles. Based in New York, both Maitra and Ball will report directly to Rebecca Glashow, President, BBC Studios – Americas.
“Tara and Jennifer will provide strong leadership and direction for a team focused on creating commercial value and building the brand with key clients and our direct-to-consumer offerings. I am confident their respective proven capabilities and entrepreneurial style will move us to the next stage of growth in the market,” said Glashow.
“The BBC is a legendary brand with incredible growth potential. In an ever-evolving media landscape, the possibilities for partnership to broaden the access to BBC content are endless and I’m looking forward to getting started,” remarked Maitra.
“I am jumping into this role as a life-long enthusiast of BBC content, so I feel a direct kinship with our fans already. I’m looking forward to engaging our clients and audiences in fresh and exciting ways,” said Ball.
Previous to this role, Maitra was the Chief Revenue Office at BDEX, a data exchange platform designed to help companies identify target audiences, where she oversaw revenue growth, business development, and marketing efforts. Prior to her role as CRO, Maitra spent 11 years at TiVo holding various leadership roles. In her last role, she served as Senior Vice President overseeing TiVo’s content strategy, media insights, and data solutions for the advertising industry. She also had oversight of TiVo’s human resource department. Before TiVo, Maitra held executive roles at Comcast, Primedia, and NBC.
Prior to joining the team, Ball led an independent consulting company focused on identifying and leading go-to-market content strategies for multi-industry clients. Before consulting, Ball was Head of Marketing and Brand at Promax, after spending over nine years at Univision as EVP, Marketing and Content Partnerships. Ball was named a Cablefax Most Power Woman in Cable for four consecutive years, and a Multichannel News Wonder Woman in 2012.
About BBC Studios
BBC Studios, a global content company with bold British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions, and programs and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programs made by the business are internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Dancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Bluey. BBC Studios has offices in 22 markets globally, including ten production bases in the UK and production bases or partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which ordinarily makes around 2,500 hours of content a year for both the BBC and third parties including Apple, Amazon and China Mobile, is a champion for British creativity around the world. It is also a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector through a mix of equity partnerships, content investment and international distribution for program titles. To the BBC, BBC Studios contributes both cash dividends and funds for program-making, supporting the license fee and enhancing programs for UK audiences.
In the Americas, BBC Studios – with team members across the region – manages joint venture relationships with AMC Networks for flagship channel BBC AMERICA (U.S.) – home of original series Killing Eve and global brands Seven Worlds: One Planet, Doctor Who, and Top Gear – and with ITV for SVoD service BritBox (U.S./Canada), as well as a strategic partnership in Canada with Blue Ant Media for BBC Earth Channel. The company also operates a robust linear and digital content sales and co-productions operation, as well as a franchise management business. In addition, BBC Studios operates a major production unit in Los Angeles responsible for the highly-rated, Emmy®-nominated Dancing with the Stars and multi-award-winning Life Below Zero. In Brazil, through a production partnership with Endemol Shine, local production Dancing Brasil has become a breakout hit.
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