Ford to head sales as Content unifies TV and film

Line of Duty distributor Content Media Corporation is bring TV and film sales together, with Jonathan Ford running the new combined operation.

Content, which has backing from China’s Seven Stars Entertainment, said the way the TV and film industries are evolving has driven the decision to unify sales across both.

London and LA-based Content’s key TV titles include BBC drama Line of Duty and Canadian cop series 19-2, as well as Alex Gibney feature docs including Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

New movies on the Content slate include Jeremy Irons comedy An Actor Prepares and Callas, a biopic about a Greek-American soprano.

Ford will be executive VP, sales and distribution at the merged sales division, reporting to president of the Content Media distribution, Greg Phillips.

He will be based in London, with Jamie Carmichael, the Los Angeles based President of Film, continuing to oversee film acquisitions and working with Ford on film sales.

“We have seen our film and television sales efforts converge over the past few years, and we have seen the emergence of global digital platforms,” Content CEO John Schmidt said. “Independent film and television have blended together creatively, and this is now reflected in distribution.”

Phillips said: “Unifying our film, television and digital divisions to create one cohesive and synergised sales force is the next important step in the evolution of the company.

“As the lines of trade and content blur we have determined that a unified sales operation will better serve all our production and acquisition clients around the world.”