Disney promotes Maker Studios UK MD Dan’l Hewitt to programming role
Disney has promoted Dan’l Hewitt, the UK managing director of Maker Studios and former head of Vice's ad network, to the role of VP of non-linear programming.
Disney promotes Dan'l Hewitt to programming role
Hewitt has held numerous roles at Yahoo, social media platform Bebo and Vice, where he managed the youth brand’s advertising network AdVice for Europe.
In March 2014 Hewitt took up the role as UK managing director of Maker Studios in the same month that The Walt Disney Company agreed to buy the video network for $500m, later paying an extra $175m in earn-outs, according to a 10-Q form filed by the company in 2016.
After nearly three years in the role, Hewitt’s role has changed to one directly working with Disney as VP of non-linear programming, according to his own LinkedIn.
He remains an investor and advisor to media company The Church of London, content marketing company Quill Content, as well as founder of CalorieX and The Exchange Foundation. Disney did not have any information about his new role when contacted by The Drum.
Founded in 2009, Maker Studios is a multichannel network that produces videos for channels on YouTube and manages PewDiePie’s network Revelmode, as well as popular brands such as the Epic Rap Battles of History. In 2015 eMarketer tipped Maker Studios as the biggest multi-channel network on YouTube worldwide.
While skeptics argued the media powerhouse had overpaid for a company that doesn't own its audience but is reliant on YouTube, Disney chief executive Bob Iger said Maker knew how to reach digital video viewers that Disney couldn’t get to on its own. He also said it could help push Disney properties like Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm to younger audiences.
However, Maker is reported to have missed revenue goals laid out by Disney, according to The Wrap. Last year the production unit laid off a number of staffers as part of what the company called "strategic adjustments", while a slew of senior staff left, including chief executive Ynon Kreiz, chief content officer Erin McPherson, SVP of marketing Jeremy Welt, among others.
Disney has an 18% equity stake in Vice, while rumours of a takeover have not been squashed by founder Shane Smith who last year said that a teased bid to acquire the company "makes sense for them and it makes sense for us".