Boat Rocker streamlines structure

Canada’s Boat Rocker Media is combining its content, distribution and brands teams into a single entity in a move designed to streamline its corporate structure and allow for more investment in scripted, unscripted and children’s programming.

Jon Rutherford

Boat Rocker Studios will be headed by MD Jon Rutherford, who was most recently president of distribution at Boat Rocker Rights having arrived at the company in 2015.

He will retain that remit but also oversee Boat Rocker’s family of content companies, including Insight Productions, Temple Street and Crooked Horse.

Rutherford will report to Boat Rocker’s co-executive chairmen David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, who are also both assuming the newly created title of chief content officer, and chief revenue officer Michel Pratte.

The company said that despite the streamlining, all employees in the rights, content and brands divisions would remain in their jobs.

Additional hires are expected in the coming months, with increased content investment planned for 2019 and beyond.

Fortier and Schneeberg said the “rapid growth” of the company had “forced us to ensure we continue to create a dynamic environment that allows for all of our creative leaders to flourish.”

“Bringing content and rights under one roof goes a long way in helping us do this and is the logical next step for the company,” the duo added.

Boat Rocker has expanded further this year, acquiring companies including US-based Matador Content (Lip Sync Battle), Fremantle’s Kids & Family division and a majority stake in Insight Productions (The Amazing Race Canada, Top Chef Canada).