Canada’s Insight Productions elevates Brock, Cox, Lysakowski to co-chief content officers
Erin Brock, left, Lindsay Cox and Mark Lysakowski
Toronto-based Insight Productions has jointly elevated long-serving executives and showrunners Erin Brock, Lindsay Cox and Mark Lysakowski to co-chief content officers.
The promotions come as Insight Productions prepares to come under new ownership, with Blue Ant Media completing its reverse takeover of Boat Rocker.
In their expanded capacities, the exec trio will continue to spearhead Insight’s creative direction, working in tandem with CEO and chair John Brunton and the senior leadership team to shape the company’s content strategies and growth plans. All three will continue to report to Brunton.
The company also announced that Alison Popowich, who assists with corporate strategy and planning, has been promoted to director of corporate affairs.
Insight Productions makes some of Canada’s biggest unscripted TV series, including The Amazing Race Canada, Canada’s Ultimate Challenge and the annual music show The Juno Awards. It also produced 12 seasons of Big Brother Canada, which ended last year.
Last month, Paramount+ in Canada greenlit a local adaptation of MTV’s reality franchise Jersey Shore, with Insight producing.
The prodco is a rarity in the sense that its executive team is comprised largely of active showrunners, with Lysakowski helming The Amazing Race Canada, Cox overseeing The Juno Awards and Brock showrunning Canada’s Ultimate Challenge and the upcoming Canada Shore.
Boat Rocker bought a 70% stake in Insight in 2018 and acquired the remaining 30% in the latter part of 2024. Blue Ant Media first announced its intention to acquire Boat Rocker via reverse takeover in March in a deal first reported by C21.
Brunton told C21 the promotions are intended to “set the company up in such a way to be successful in this new partnership” with Blue Ant, with additional promotions forthcoming.
The Blue Ant/Boat Rocker transaction is expected to officially close in June.
Brunton added that Insight is focused on expanding further into the international market as it enters a new phase under Blue Ant.
“These promotions position Insight to do our best work domestically as we continue to expand our international development and production slates, and our business around the world,” he said.
