Christina Spade was named chief operating officer of AMC Networks as the company continues to fine-tune its executive suite after longtime chief Josh Sapan stepped back from his role in August.
Spade, formerly the chief financial officer of ViacomCBS, was named CFO for AMC Networks at the start of 2021, and she will retain her current CFO duties. She held CFO roles for both Showtime and CBS Corp. before it was re-merged with Viacom. Spade will report to Matt Blank, the former Showtime executive who has been serving as interim CEO of AMC Networks.
“Chris is a talented, experienced and versatile executive whose contributions have been critical to AMC Networks’ strong performance this year,” said Blank, in a statement. “Having worked alongside Chris for many years at Showtime, I know her leadership skills, her deep understanding of our business, and her strategic and data driven approach make her an ideal choice for this new role as we continue to rapidly grow our streaming business and build upon our substantial owned IP, and with our continued strong performance of our traditional linear channels.”
For years, the chief operating role at AMC Networks was held by Ed Carroll, a veteran who worked for the company for 34 years — and could recall a time when the company’s flagship cable network was best known for showing old movies and was known as American Movie Classics. Caroll announced in September that he would leave by the end of 2021.
The recent changes in the executive suite have spurred speculation on Wall Street that AMC Networks, long backed by the Dolan family, could seek a sale or other strategic transaction. The company, while known for high quality TV series like “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men,” remains one of the smaller players in the media sector.
Spade began her career as an audit manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers in its Entertainment, Media and Communications practice. She graduated with a B.S. in accounting from St. Joseph’s University.