Original Productions (OP) have promoted Brian Lovett to the new role of Head of Content Strategy.
In this new role, Lovett will oversee the creation and expansion of content across all platforms, including linear TV, FAST, AVOD, SVOD, YouTube and social media, while also identifying opportunities for brand partnerships throughout the OP portfolio. He will continue to report to Jeff Hasler, President of Original Productions, while leading the overall team in series development and production, as well as expanding the studio’s direct-to-consumer efforts.
Lovett joined OP in 2018 as the Executive Vice President of Programming and Development. During his tenure, OP has significantly expanded their documentary slate including the Netflix series Waco: American Apocalypse, Phat Tuesdays for Prime Video and the feature documentary Rather. The studio also broke ground by launching the adrenalin charged RIG TV FAST channel, as well as their first exclusive to YouTube series, High in the Sky. At the same time, OP has been steadily maintaining and strengthening their iconic heritage brands, including Deadliest Catch and Bering Sea Gold.
“Brian is a proven leader who has been instrumental in driving the growth and success of OP,” said Jeff Hasler, president of Original Productions. “He has been at the forefront of building our direct-to-consumer business alongside our linear and streaming businesses. With this promotion, Brian will further utilize his visionary approach and storytelling skills to grow our content slate and bring our shows to viewers across multiple platforms."
“I’m excited to further my role at OP and continue building on the incredible legacy we’ve established,” said Lovett. “My time here has been an amazing opportunity to create in the rapidly changing world of television, and it’s an honor to lead this talented group as we continue to expand in the industry and bring compelling content to audiences everywhere.”
Building on their strong storytelling reputation and character-driven narratives, OP has in recent years been expanding into more premium spaces. Initially known for capturing the world’s most rugged and adventurous people and landscapes in their award-winning series such as Deadliest Catch (Discovery), which recently celebrated its 20th season, and Bering Sea Gold (Discovery), the OP team has grown its portfolio to now also include Rather (Netflix), a documentary on the most legendary media figure, Dan Rather, as well as the Waco: American Apocalypse (Netflix) docu-series commemorating the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. They also took chef Carla Hall on a global adventure to discover the roots of popular dishes in Chasing Flavor (Max) and created a new high-stakes adventure competition with the Race to Survive (USA) series.
In addition, last year OP launched their own FAST channel, RIG TV, showcasing the toughest jobs on earth. Featuring series such as Monster Garage, Jay Leno’s Garage, Black Gold, Swords: Life on the Line, Monster House and Wild Justice, RIG TV is currently available on Roku, Freevee, Fubo, Google TV, Sling TV and Plex.
