Robert Schildhouse will serve in an expanded role at streamer BritBox International following the departure of global CEO Reemah Sakaan.
Schildhouse, who previously had stints with Hulu and CBS, joined the streamer in 2022, with his most recent position being general manager, North America, and group editorial for BritBox International, where he was instrumental in driving the service’s business growth in the U.S. and Canada.
From April 1, Schildhouse will serve in the expanded role of president of BritBox North America, and general manager of BritBox International, based in New York. Kerry Ball will continue in her role as chief commercial and strategy officer, based in London. Schildhouse and Ball will now both report to Rebecca Glashow, CEO, BBC Global Media and Streaming. Schildhouse will assume responsibility for product/technology and marketing, in addition to editorial.
The moves have happened after BBC Studios bought British broadcaster ITV‘s 50% stake in BritBox International last month and Sakaan stepped down. The streamer was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between BBC Studios, which is the commercial arm of the British broadcaster, and ITV.In 2022, ITV hadbought out the BBC’s share of BritBox U.K.ahead of the launch of streamer ITVX.
BritBox International, designed as a “best of British” streamer, is available across the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The service has grown subscribers by over 300% in the past four years, with more than 3.75 million subscribers and has an enterprise value of some £500 million. Recent hits include “Archie,” “Death in Paradise,” “Father Brown,” “Line of Duty,” “Sherwood” and “Shetland.”
“Robert’s commitment, creativity and passion for the business make him the optimal leader to drive the continued success of BritBox and I’m looking forward to working with him,” said Glashow. “With Robert’s deep understanding of the streaming landscape, combined with our world-class leadership team and staff, BritBox is poised for an exciting next phase of growth in the BBC portfolio.”
Schildhouse added: “I am thrilled to take on this expanded role at such a pivotal moment for BritBox International. We have had an incredible year of growth and are uniquely positioned to solidify our standing as the premier destination for delivering quality British content to our loyal and expanding subscriber base. Great stories can come from anywhere, and we remain committed to curating premium content from the deep and varied creative community across the U.K., including ITV, independent producers and from within BBC Studios.”
