Indicating the importance of direct-to-consumer streaming services in the new calculus of media monetisation, Discovery has created a global D2C CEO position.
Discovery has named former Amazon exec Peter Faricy to the role. He will head up Discovery’s digital products, including Discovery’s GO TV Everywhere service, Motor Trend, Eurosport Player, Discovery Kids, Dplay and Discovery’s strategic alliance with PGA TOUR for golf.
“Peter is a world-class executive, with an extensive track record of building some of the world’s most successful direct-to-consumer products and businesses,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery. “We are excited to welcome Peter and his vision and skill set to the Discovery leadership team as we accelerate our pivot to become a next-generation media company engaging passionate communities of fans around the world on every screen with trusted, high-quality brands and content.”
JB Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery Networks International, will continue to lead the overall Eurosport business and will work together with Faricy on D2C product rollouts across international markets.
“Hundreds of millions of consumers love, trust and admire the iconic brands of the Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, Eurosport, TLC, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery (ID), Travel Channel and so many more,” said Faricy. “As the media and tech industries increasingly converge, Discovery has positioned itself as a clear leader. Our mission is to delight customers by leveraging technology to provide access to the content they love, anywhere and anytime.”
Faricy previously led the Amazon Marketplace, the company’s third-party seller business, and before that, the e-tailer’s music and film categories. He has also held leadership roles at Borders Group, Ford and McKinsey. He received an MBA with distinction from the University of Michigan and a BA in Business Administration from Michigan State University.
