Skydance names Decker, Askinasi and Hopkins to content sales, advertising and distribution roles
Skydance, the company formed from the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery combination, named David Decker, Jay Askinasi and Ray Hopkins to lead content sales, advertising and distribution. All three report to JB Perrette.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Skydance named three senior executives on Thursday 8 October to run content licensing, advertising and distribution. DeadlineN “Skydance has named its top executives across content licensing, advertising and distribution.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “On Thursday, the company said Jay Askinasi will lead ad sales for Skydance, David Decker will head up content sales, and Ray Hopkins will oversee distribution.” Read at Variety ↗ Centre · 1David Decker becomes President, Content Sales; Jay Askinasi becomes Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising; and Ray Hopkins becomes President, Distribution. DeadlineN “David Decker will become President, Content Sales, Jay Askinasi has been named Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising and Ray Hopkins has been appointed President, Distribution.” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2All three report to JB Perrette, co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance TV and Skydance DTC, who is a former Warner Bros. Discovery executive. Variety adds that Askinasi and Hopkins will also sit on the Skydance Executive Leadership Team. DeadlineN “The trio will report to JB Perrette, Co-Chair & Chief Business Officer, Skydance TV and Skydance DTC.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Askanasi and Hopkins will also serve as part of the Skydance Executive Leadership Team.” Read at Variety ↗
Mixed · 2Decker was previously President of Content Sales at Warner Bros. Discovery and, according to Deadline, will oversee sales of the Paramount and WBD television library to international broadcasters, streamers and third-party platforms in the U.S.; Deadline calls the appointment significant as the company heads into Mipcom. Variety describes him as a Warner Bros. veteran of more than two decades. DeadlineN “Decker’s appointment is significant as the company heads into Mipcom.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “A more than two-decade Warner Bros. Veteran, Decker has led the worldwide licensing and distribution of Warner Bros.’ film, television, animation and digital content portfolios” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Askinasi was previously Chief Revenue Officer at Paramount, having joined from Roku, and earlier was CEO of Publicis Media Exchange U.S. Hopkins was previously President of U.S. Networks Distribution at Paramount, having joined CBS in 2013, and formerly served as COO of the YES Network. DeadlineN “Askinasi was previously Chief Revenue Officer at Paramount, having joined last year from Roku.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of YES Network and has been inducted into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame.”“Previously, he served as CEO of Publicis Media Exchange U.S.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Variety reports that with Askinasi taking over ad sales, Ryan Gould and Robert “Bobby” Voltaggio, presidents of U.S. advertising sales at Warner Bros. Discovery, will leave the company. VarietyLC “Ryan Gould and Robert “Bobby” Voltaggio — who have served as presidents of U.S. advertising sales at Warner Bros. Discovery — will be leaving the company.” Read at Variety ↗
Centre · 1Deadline notes it is unclear what the moves mean for Kevin MacLellan, formerly President, Global Content Distribution & International at Paramount, or Don McGregor, the company's global licensing chief. DeadlineN “It’s not clear what this move means for Kevin MacLellan, who was President, Global Content Distribution & International at Paramount or Don McGregor, who was the company’s global licensing chief.” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Perrette said in a statement that the three are “hugely talented and respected leaders with deep experience, strong industry relationships and a shared commitment to our partners and our people,” and that the combination will build “the next generation media and entertainment organization.” DeadlineN “Jay, David and Ray are hugely talented and respected leaders with deep experience, strong industry relationships and a shared commitment to our partners and our people.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Jay, David and Ray are hugely talented and respected leaders with deep experience, strong industry relationships and a shared commitment to our partners and our people.” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Variety presents the appointments as the latest in a series of senior hires at the combined company, and covers who is leaving as well as who is arriving.
- Emphasis
- Full bios of each appointee and the exit of WBD's U.S. ad sales presidents Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Mipcom timing or uncertainty over Kevin MacLellan and Don McGregor.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline treats the news as a trade-industry personnel move, leading with Decker's role and its significance ahead of Mipcom.
- Emphasis
- Decker's remit over library sales and the open question about former Paramount distribution and licensing heads.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the departure of Gould and Voltaggio or give detailed bios.
- Charged language
- “Lands Top Content Sales Role”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Decker is President, Content Sales; Askinasi is Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising; Hopkins is President, Distribution.
- All three report to JB Perrette.
- Askinasi and Hopkins come from Paramount; Decker comes from Warner Bros. Discovery.
JB Perrette person
Perrette, to whom the three report, presents the combination as creating opportunity for commercial partners and praises the appointees as experienced, respected leaders.
“Bringing together the incomparable portfolios of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery creates an extraordinary combination of iconic brands” — Deadline
Left1 article
-
Neutral Detailed report with bios, placing the hires in the series of combined-company appointments and noting departing WBD ad sales chiefs.
Centre1 article
-
Neutral Short trade report on the appointments, flagging Mipcom timing and uncertainty over other executives.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 8 Oct 15:39 First DeadlineN David Decker Lands Top Content Sales Role At Skydance With Jay Askinasi Overseeing Ads, Ray Hopkins Leading Distribution
- 8 Oct 16:01 +22m VarietyLC Skydance Names Jay Askinasi Head of Ad Sales, Taps David Decker to Lead Content Sales and Ray Hopkins as Distribution Chief
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.