Katie Keenan is joining Sky as head of acquisitions at Sky Cinema, and will oversee film deals for the pay-TV giant’s channels.
Keenan is a seasoned buyer. Most recently she was at Viacom’s international division and acquiring programming for its free-TV Channel 5 operation in the U.K., as well as for cable channels including Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1. She has also worked at the BBC, Channel 4, and digital channels group UKTV.
During her time at Viacom, Keenan brought the Channel 5 and Viacom International Media Networks acquisition teams together. U.S. shows picked up during her tenure included “X Files” and “Will & Grace.”
She joins Sky next Monday. Keenan will oversee all acquisitions across the full range of Sky Cinema channels, including Sky’s output deals with the Hollywood studios. Based in the U.K., she will work with the Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia operations on a pan-European deals where appropriate.
At Sky she will report to director of acquisitions Sarah Wright, who said Keenan’s commercial savvy will be a “huge asset as we constantly strive to bring them great value content for the whole family.”
“She is a true commercial star with a brilliant reputation in the industry,” Wright added.