Discovery has locked in a new leadership team for distribution worldwide and in the U.S.
The company has named Eric Phillips to the new post of president, global distribution strategy. Michele Barney, who joins Discovery from AT&T, will take on Phillips’ previous role as president of affiliate distribution.
In his new position, Phillips will oversee strategy, approach and relationships for the company’s global distribution platforms, foremost Discovery Plus, the direct to consumer service that launched Jan. 4. A veteran of the company, he joined Discovery in 2002, and had served in his previous role since 2013. He will continue to work with Bruce Campbell, chief development, distribution and legal officer for Discovery, and will work closely with JB Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery International.
“Eric is an outstanding executive who has contributed enormously to Discovery’s growth into one of the most formidable TV brand portfolios among distributors,” said Campbell. “In his new role, Eric’s leadership will be key as our company accelerates its pivot to DTC while seizing opportunities to further scale our reach globally.”
Barney will head distribution in the United States and Canada for Discovery’s cable channels and content, managing carriage with all distributors including cable, satellite, telecom and digital. She will also report to Campbell.
Most recently Barney served as senior VP of content and programing at AT&T, overseeing distribution across all the telecom giant’s platforms.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Michele to Discovery,” said Campbell. “As a longtime partner to this company, I have admired Michele’s business acumen and ability to get a deal to the finish line. She is principled, transparent and fair. We are thrilled that she will lead our distribution team, especially at this time of industry transformation, to ensure that our powerful brand portfolio reaches the widest audience possible across all platforms.”