Sean Gupta, who has served as senior VP of strategy for Paramount Streaming for more than two years, is exiting the company, Variety has confirmed.
Gupta reported to Jeff Shultz, Paramount Streaming’s chief strategy officer and chief business development officer. Gupta took on the role in the fall of 2021 (when Paramount Global was known as ViacomCBS), tasked with helping shape the media conglomerate’s approach to developing and growing its Paramount+ subscription-streaming property and the Pluto TV free, ad-supported streaming TV service. The company had formed the consolidated streaming group, led by former Pluto CEO Tom Ryan, in October 2020.
Gupta, prior to his most recent role at Paramount Streaming, was senior VP of strategy and business operations for BET Networks. In that role, which he had assumed in the fall of 2019, he co-led the executive team that conceived of, planned and launched the BET+ premium streaming service. Gupta also was a member of the team that negotiated and structured BET’s joint venture with Tyler Perry Studios.
Gupta joined BET’s program planning, scheduling and acquisitions team in 2015. Prior to BET, he led business development and business affairs for the advertising division of Time Warner Cable and worked as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank. He began his career at Bloomberg and NBC.
Gupta holds an MBA in finance and media from New York City’s Columbia Business School, where he also has served as an adjunct professor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and South Asian studies from the University of Chicago.
Matt Donnelly contributed to this report.