Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the streaming entertainment company named after the best-selling series of self-help books, hired Phil Oppenheim as chief content officer.
In the newly created role, Oppenheim will lead physical and streaming platform content strategy for all Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties, including Redbox — which CSSE bought this year for $370 million — and Crackle, the streaming service acquired from Sony Pictures Television. He starts at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment on Nov. 1, reporting to president Jonathan Katz.
Most recently, Oppenheim was senior VP of program scheduling at MGM’s Epix Networks, where he also was responsible for the streaming content and branding of the company’s ScreenPix suite of ad-free channels. Prior to joining Epix in January 2020, he worked as a consultant and was Lionsgate’s chief curator and pop culture officer (SVP of programming), leading the content launch of the Comic-Con HQ subscription VOD service and Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud (LOL) ad-supported VOD service.
Prior to Lionsgate, Oppenheim spent two decades at Turner Broadcasting in various roles. He began his career helping to launch TCM, ultimately rising to become senior VP, programming for TNT and TBS, overseeing content strategy, linear programming and scheduling, as well as the digital content team responsible for streaming and VOD.
“Phil is a true unicorn,” Katz said. “He’s an executive with wide-ranging experience across multiple streaming brands and business models, along with vast experience leading some of TV’s most successful linear networks. Phil has helped grow audience and revenue at every point in his career, and we’re incredibly lucky to have him as part of the team.”
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment operates a variety of ad-supported VOD streaming services including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Popcornflix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media and 1091 Pictures subsidiaries and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. The recently acquired Redbox group operates AVOD and transactional digital video services as well as its network of DVD-rental kiosks across the U.S.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.