Chicken Soup For The Soul’s Laura Florence Joins Fremantle’s FAST Team
Chicken Soup For The Soul’s Laura Florence will expand America‘s Got Talent maker Fremantle’s FAST business out of LA.
She has been hired as SVP of Global FAST Channels, reporting to Fremantle CEO of Commercial and International Jens Richter.
More from Deadline
'Snowflake Mountain' Canceled By Netflix After Just One Season
'True Detective' Indie Passenger Partners With Patrick Daly's Caledonia Productions
The hire puts her at the top of Fremantle’s push into FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels, which currently comprises 33 streaming networks on the likes of Baywatch, America’s Got Talent and Jamie Oliver and genre services Place and Space, Cook Chop Chat, Sleuth and Quip.
Major production groups with stacked libraries have been increasingly moving into FAST distribution as a way of monetizing catalog shows. Notably, Warner Bros Discovery last year struck deals with Tubi and Roku to offer Westward through FAST channels.
Florence was previously at Chicken Soup For The Soul, where she was SVP and General Manager, overseeing Redbox and Crackle+ digital platforms. The role included duties in TVOD, AVOD and FAST.
Richter, who was recently promoted to his expanded commercial role, said: “This is an integral role as we build out our global FAST strategy and I am thrilled to welcome Laura to the team to join us and lead our ambitious plans.”
Florence added: “I am delighted to be joining Fremantle, a renowned company with an impressive portfolio of beloved shows. I look forward to leveraging the extensive catalogue of fan favorites and expanding their global channel distribution footprint. It’s an exciting opportunity to contribute to Fremantle’s growth and success.”
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
