SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Acclaimed Emmy® and NAACP award-winning
producer Craig Piligian has signed a
new long-term agreement with global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE:
LGF.A, LGF.B), expanding his purview to become President of
Lionsgate's nonfiction television business while continuing as CEO
of Pilgrim Media Group. Under the new agreement, Piligian has also
been elevated to Chair of Pilgrim Media Group.
In his role as President of Lionsgate Nonfiction Television, a
new position, Piligian will be responsible for overseeing
Lionsgate's unscripted television business, developing new
nonfiction series and managing the Company's partnerships with
unscripted television producers.
Pilgrim Media Group, in which Lionsgate acquired a majority
stake in 2015, has established itself as a leader in nonfiction
programming with nearly 20 current series for major network
partners. Its slate includes the upcoming "The Ultimate Surfer"
(ABC), "The Ultimate Fighter" (ESPN+), "My Big Fat Fabulous Life"
(TLC) and the "Street Outlaws" (Discovery) and "Wicked Tuna"
(National Geographic) franchises. Piligian has also produced
critically acclaimed documentaries such as Soufra,
Tre Maison Dasan, The
Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story and Giving
Voice.
"Craig is a great partner, a savvy strategist and a leading
creative force in the unscripted world," said Lionsgate CEO
Jon Feltheimer. "This is an
opportunity to continue simplifying our business by bringing all of
our unscripted operations together under Craig's oversight while
enabling him to continue overseeing Pilgrim's world-class
nonfiction brand."
"Pilgrim is a powerhouse in unscripted content so we're
fortunate to have the experience and expertise of its leader as we
continue to fill our nonfiction programming pipeline," said
Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin
Beggs. "We look forward to drawing upon Craig's wealth
of creative relationships in building our unscripted business
alongside Pilgrim as a major player in the nonfiction space."
"It's a pleasure to work with Kevin
Beggs and Sandra Stern, and I
look forward to collaborating with the rest of their television
team in developing premium nonfiction programming for Lionsgate,"
said Piligian. "I also welcome the opportunity to continue
partnering with Jon Feltheimer, a
one-of-a-kind CEO who has created an entrepreneurial and
collaborative culture at Lionsgate in which Pilgrim has
been empowered to flourish."
Piligian has been a major player in nonfiction programming for
nearly three decades. An original executive producer of the seminal
CBS hit "Survivor," Piligian began his career in the news business,
then went on to produce some of the first reality programming. He
founded Pilgrim Films & Television (now Pilgrim Media Group) in
1997, subsequently creating several of television's most
groundbreaking and enduring unscripted series for U.S. and
international airing.
He has consistently ranked among the Top 10 producers in The
Hollywood Reporter's annual Reality Power List and Variety's annual
Reality Impact Report. Additionally, Realscreen has honored him
with its Producer Extraordinaire award and inducted him into its
Hall of Fame. Piligian was Broadcasting & Cable magazine's
first-ever Producer of the Year and was also recognized by Next TV
Summit as Innovator of the Year. He serves on the Hollywood Radio
and Television Society's Board of Directors.
Alice Dickens-Koblin, who stepped
in from Starz to ramp up Lionsgate's unscripted business, will
continue her role as Starz SVP and Head of Unscripted Television
for the global premium streaming service. She will also continue to
lead Lionsgate's 1619 Project unscripted content based on materials
from the Pulitzer Prize®-winning 1619 Project, including the
recently announced documentary series for Hulu to which
Oprah Winfrey, The New York Times and Roger
Ross Williams are attached.
Lionsgate's unscripted television roster includes "House of Ho"
on HBO Max, "Selling Sunset" and "Kevin
Hart: Don't F**k This Up" on Netflix and "De Viaje con Los
Derbez" on Pantaya.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Lionsgate EVP &
General Counsel Corii Berg, EVP Business & Legal Affairs
Randall Jackson, EVP & Associate General Counsel Adrian Kuzycz, SVP Business & Legal Affairs
Rahwa Ghebre-Ab and SVP Business & Legal Affairs Steve Gofman
and for Piligian by Sidley Austin's
Matt Thompson, Rollin Ransom, and Vijay
Sekhon, and Bill Pace from
Andersen Tax.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
Combining the STARZ premium
global subscription platform with world-class motion picture and
television studio operations, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) brings
a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around
the world. Its film, television, subscription and
location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a
17,000-title library and the largest collection of film and
television franchises in the independent media space. A
digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and
commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with
bold, original, relatable entertainment for the audiences it serves
worldwide.
ABOUT PILGRIM
Pilgrim Media Group, a Lionsgate
company headed by Emmy®-winning producer Craig Piligian, produces a diverse slate of
unscripted and scripted programming across all platforms. The
company is behind hit series like "Ghost Hunters," "American
Chopper," "Fast N' Loud," the "Street Outlaws" and "Wicked Tuna"
franchises, "My Big Fat Fabulous Life," "Dodgeball Thunderdome,"
"Bring It!," "Battlefish," and "The Ultimate Fighter." Among
Pilgrim's feature documentaries are the award-winning films
Soufra, Tre Maison Dasan, now
streaming on Hulu and PBS.org respectively, The Boy
Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story for YouTube Premium, and the
2020 Sundance Festival Favorite Award winner, Giving Voice.
Global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) is a majority
investor in Pilgrim.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cristina Castañeda
Lionsgate
CCastaneda@lionsgate.com
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/craig-piligian-renews-long-term-agreement-as-ceo-and-chair-of-pilgrim-media-group-expands-responsibilities-to-include-oversight-of-lionsgates-unscripted-television-business-301270073.html
SOURCE Lionsgate