Blue Ant in EMEA channels push

Blue Ant Media in Canada has added to its kids and global networks division with four new hires charged with growing the reach of its specialist channels in EMEA.

George Jeffrey, Raymond van der Vliet, Frédéric Chevance and Kelly Butler are joining the broadcast and production group’s fledgling arm to expand the footprint of children’s channel ZooMoo and factual network Love Nature 4K.

Jeffrey will be responsible for sales in the UK and Ireland, van der Vliet has responsibility for distribution in Benelux, the Nordics and Eastern Europe, Chevance is covering France, Spain and Portugal, while Butler has oversight for Sub-Saharan Africa.

The quartet will report to Ward Platt, Blue Ant’s CEO of global networks and kids, who is based in LA.

Jeffrey is the former president of National Geographic Channels Europe who left the firm in 2010 to pursue a career in politics.

Van der Vliet has been an independent distribution consultant since working at companies such as National Geographic Channels Europe, while Chevance and Butler have both previously held roles at Fox Networks Group, then known as Fox International Channels.

Love Nature 4K, a joint venture with Smithsonian Networks, features a library of 4K wildlife and nature content and has an international SVoD service available in more than 60 countries.

ZooMoo Networks, meanwhile, is a joint venture with DirectTV Latin America and available in at least 20 territories, including Mexico, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“This team brings a wealth of expertise in the global channel distribution space and has a proven track record of forging long-lasting relationships with key broadcasters worldwide,” said Platt.

“As we continue to add scale to our business, our newly appointed team will help drive our sales for Love Nature 4K and ZooMoo in the EMEA region, while bolstering our commitment to expand our channels footprint internationally.”