Cablefax The Magazine - April 2017 - 50

69. HEAD IN THE CLOUD
Roger
Lynch
CEO, Sling
TV
DISH
Education:
Dartmouth
College
and University
of Southern California
With its focus on the slimmest
of skinny bundles, Sling TV
continues to be a pace-setter in
live OTT entertainment. Still. CEO
Lynch has his head in the cloud.
Sling's cloud DVR service is up
and running in beta, allowing
70. KING OF POP
participants to record up to 100
hours of content from select
channels, and Lynch believes
the evolution could transform
business for the service. He also
knows the key to success is
content, and in 2016, Sling TV
became the first OTT provider to
offer NHL Network and Pac-12
Networks. Lynch also recently
added new content from Fox,
NBCU and Viacom, among others.
He remains focused on customer
experience, and recently
unveiled a new user interface that
enhanced the way consumers
discover content within a live OTT
service.
Q&A
What inspires you most about
this industry? It is an industry
that is just about to reinvent itself
with the transition to streaming
that is starting to happen.
The biggest innovation in pay-TV
over the last year? The biggest
innovation is undoubtedly the
development of OTT as an alternative
to traditional cable or satellite
pay-TV services.
The best thing about fast broadband
is... It has and will continue
to enable services to be created
that people could never dream of.
My OTT prediction is... Virtually
all TV will be streamed someday.
Streaming has an edge over traBrad
Schwartz
President
Pop Media Group
Years in Cable: 15
Education: University of Pennsylvania
Schwartz's vision has pushed Pop's original
programming in the direction of scripted
entertainment -a departure from the former
TV Guide Network, which focused on reality
and red carpet events. Pop's break-out series
" Schitt's Creek, " starring Emmy-winning talent
Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Chris
Elliott, is the network's most-watched original
program with more than a half-million nightly
viewers, and was recently renewed for a fourth
season. Pop's other new scripted series
include " Nightcap, " which is now in season two
production, and " Return of The Mac, " which
launches in April. Although cable on the whole
is facing disruption, under Schwartz's leadership
Pop is bucking the trend with consistent
year-over-year growth in viewership, distribution,
advertising sales and press buzz.
Q&A
What inspires you most about this industry?
Creative people.
The best thing about fast broadband is...
Stops my kids from complaining.
What are the top three qualities you look for
in a hire? High vertical, strong arm, and quick
feet.
My OTT prediction is... It drives customer
experience competition.
If President Trump tweeted about you, he
would say... to buy my line of clothing at
Nordstrom.
Favorite Saturday morning cartoon from
your childhood? " Pee-Wee's Playhouse "
Last show I watched not on my networks:
" Billions " and " Casual "
Best way to spend a Saturday night: With my
wife. ■
ditional TV, because it is cheaper,
more flexible and can offer a
better experience.
How do you celebrate your
birthday? Usually something very
active like a trail run with my dogs
or surfing if I am by the beach.
What product or service could
you not live without? My iPhone
How long is your morning commute?
35 minutes
Favorite Saturday morning
cartoon from your childhood? I
was never into Saturday morning
cartoons. When I was growing up I
was usually out the door first thing
on Saturday mornings to play
baseball or some other sport with
my friends. ■
71. TRIPLE THREAT
Mark Greenberg
President & CEO
EPIX
Years in Cable: 32
Education: BA,
Providence College;
MBA, Columbia
University
Greenberg has ushered in a new chapter
of EPIX with the premiere of the network's
first original scripted series, " Graves, " which
debuted last October to strong critical reviews.
The network also has " Berlin Station, " a
contemporary spy thriller, and " Get Shorty, "
based on Elmore Leonard's cult classic where
organized crime and Hollywood collide. Greenberg
sees significant growth opportunities for
EPIX domestically, building on its current reach
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cablefaxmag.com
April 2017
of 50 million TV households through additional
distribution on both traditional and emerging
platforms. The company will also continue
advancing its position as a leader of TV Everywhere
solutions, where it has been on the
forefront of creating a platform to allow all EPIX
content to reach all viewers across all devices
where and when they want to watch. ■
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Cablefax The Magazine - April 2017

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