Ex-Warner Bros TV distribution chief Jeffrey Schlesinger invests in Vuulr, joins board

Jeffrey Schlesinger, the former president of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, is investing in Singapore-headquartered online rights marketplace Vuulr and joining its advisory board.

Jeffrey Schlesinger

A pair of Schlesinger’s former colleagues, Barry Meyer, former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros, and Ed Romano, former chief financial officer and vice chairman of Warner Bros, have also invested in the company.

In his advisory role, Schlesinger will provide strategic advice on product strategy and help Vuulr improve the way rights are bought and sold on its digital platform.

The Vuulr platform allows a network of around 17,000 buyers and sellers to source, negotiate and complete licensing deals securely online.

According to the company, it facilitated the sale of 9,000 hours of content in 2021. Since its launch in 2019, Vuulr says it has enabled the sale of more than 16,800 hours of content across 120 countries. Most recently, BBC Studios listed 3,000 hours of content on Vuulr for buyers in Asia.

Schlesinger, who left Warner Bros in 2020 after 37 years, arrived back on the industry scene last month with the launch of his new company Former Bros Media.

The firm provides strategic advice and consultation for global media companies, with clients including Canal+, Dick Wolf Entertainment, Archie Comics and Genius Brands International.

“For over four decades I have been deeply involved in the evolution of licensing media rights around the world across all forms of exhibition. The unprecedented rate of change today makes it clear that there is a need for more efficient ways for buyers to discover and license relevant content, and for sellers to find and transact business efficiently with more buyers,” said Schlesinger.

“While personal relationships will always play an important role, the explosion of new services globally makes it impossible for every transaction to be done on a one-to-one basis in a cost-effective manner.”

Vuulr CEO Ian McKee said: “It’s an honour to have the backing of three of the most experienced and senior leaders of Hollywood. Their insight into the industry and the challenges being faced, as distribution and acquisition become increasingly global and fragmented, is invaluable.

“It is wonderful that they share our vision of how Vuulr can support the industry by increasing revenue and reducing cost in this mission-critical business process, a proposition that is ever more relevant in the current economic climate.”