Keshet unveils gaming arm

Keshet International (KI) is moving into the global gaming sector and has promoted a senior executive to run a new arm of the company.

Ziv Rabinovich

Ziv Rabinovich has been named KI’s head of gaming, moving across from his former role as KI’s head of operations.

The new division will sit alongside the Israeli broadcaster’s international TV distribution and production arms and aims to leverage Keshet’s experience, platforms and brand to drive a global roll-out of gaming products.

The aim is to develop original mobile and social games independently, as well as working with third-party clients and exploiting existing KI IP.

Rabinovich joined KI in 2013 from Playcast Media Systems, a cloud-based operator of gaming-on-demand technology recently acquired by GameFly, which partners with some of the largest video game publishers in the world such as EA, Disney, and Atari.

He will report to KI CEO Alon Shtruzman, who said: “Israel is well known as the tech start-up nation. Not only does the tech industry thrive there, but digital products have a very strong take-up, by people of all ages. We have been quick to embrace the second screen and a move into gaming is a logical next step.”