Mark Burnett becomes MGM chairman

MGM has promoted Emmy Award-winning producer Mark Burnett to chairman of its Worldwide Television Group.

Burnett was formerly president of MGM Television and Digital Group, a role he has held since 2015.

He will now take global responsibility for television creative and production and he has extended his contract through to 2022.

The exec joined the company when his production outfit One Three Media was acquired by MGM in two transactions in 2014 and 2015.

Burnett has produced a number of award-winning series, including Survivor, The Voice and Shark Tank. The three series often hold the number one spots on primetime television.

He also continues to attract A-list talent to his primetime shows, including Jamie Foxx on Beat Shazam and Kevin Hart on TKO, which will premiere July 11 on CBS.

Under Burnett, MGM Television recently expanded the scope of its unscripted content development and production with the acquisitions of Evolution Media in 2017 (The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules and Botched) and most recently Big Fish Entertainment (LIVE PD, Black Ink Crew, Hustle & Soul and Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan).

“Mark is a one-of-a-kind creative individual with an incredible eye for talent and content and a long track record of success,” said Kevin Ulrich, CEO Anchorage Capital Group and MGM’s chairman of the board of directors.

“After more than 25 years in the business, he remains at the top of his game. We are confident that under Mark’s leadership, MGM Television’s best days are ahead.”

Burnett added: “In the past four years at MGM we have renewed all our television franchises and have added a lot of new hits.  This is the most fun I have had in my career and I know we will continue to build on these successes.”