AMC Networks Reorganizes Commercial Revenue Group Ahead of Upfront

AMC Networks is switching things up ahead of the upfront.

Top line

Today, the company announced a strategic reorganization of its commercial revenue group, giving additional responsibilities to key leaders and creating new teams focused on sales and pricing/planning.

The leaders taking on expanded roles in the reorganization will be heavily involved in driving upfront talks.

Between the lines

Among the changes, AMC Networks’ new structure combines the company’s advanced advertising and national sales teams and centralizes linear and digital operations under Evan Adlman, who is being promoted to executive vice president of commercial sales and revenue operations.

Additionally, the organizational realignment integrates the company’s pricing and planning group with its direct response sales efforts under Marc Krok, who is moving to an expanded role as executive vice president of revenue management.

Both Adlman and Krok will continue to report to chief commercial officer Kim Kelleher, who runs the company’s commercial revenue group that spans advertising sales, distribution and partner management, content room, pricing and planning, revenue operations and integrated marketing.

“We are looking forward to bringing a new and strategically realigned sales organization to the 2023/24 upfront, in addition to a remarkable slate of original programming, growing franchises and compelling partnership opportunities,” Kelleher said in a statement.

“Our new structure is designed to drive innovation and bring our most potent advantages and capabilities to market in a way that will make it even easier for our advertising partners to unlock the value of our viewer relationships and leadership position in new technologies like addressable advertising, our strong presence on new digital platforms and other differentiated and data-driven offerings,” she added.

In his new role, Adlam will oversee national sales, linear and digital operations; the FAST/AVOD business team; programmatic sales; and advanced advertising. AMC’s Todd Schwartzman and Tony Song will lead national sales on the team, and Marisa Simon will lead the linear and addressable operations teams.

Krok will lead pricing and planning; direct response sales; and sales and partnerships for BBC World News, with divisional leads Shannon Frasier, Pat Lucci and Michael Graf also on the team.

Additionally, Kim Granito, evp of content room and integrated marketing, has added two new leaders to her team. Miguel Enrique Rodriguez joins AMC Networks as svp of production, operations and events; and Kevin Vitale is moving to the team as svp of creative and marketing strategy.

In a statement, Kelleher noted that Adlman, Krok and Granito were the “right leaders” to guide the new teams and deliver results.

AMC Networks previously announced it will host an in-person upfront event on April 18 at Jazz at Lincoln Center, moving from last year’s in-person presentation at Peak in Hudson Yards.

Bottom line

The changes come following large-scale layoffs at AMC.

Last November, CEO Christina Spade exited the company after mere months in the position, and AMC Networks has yet to announce a replacement.

In a memo to employees announcing the change, AMC Networks chairman James Dolan indicated cutbacks and layoffs were on the way. Following the memo, the company reportedly went on to lay off 20% of its U.S. staff.