Fremantle’s Bob McCourt to depart after 28 years with the company

Bob McCourt, Fremantle’s chief operating officer for commercial and international, has confirmed he is leaving the European production and distribution giant after nearly three decades.

Bob McCourt

McCourt has been in his current role at Idol, X Factor and Got Talent maker Fremantle since 2013, working alongside Jens Richter, CEO of commercial and international.

In the position, he manages investment in content acquisition and coproduction across Fremantle and third-party scripted and non-scripted programming, oversees international TV and format sales, has overall responsibility for legal and business affairs and oversees its digital and global channels business.

Fremantle is owned by the Luxembourg-based RTL Group, which is a majority-owned subsidiary of the German multinational mass media corporation Bertelsmann.

McCourt was also the chairman of Storyglass, the UK-based Bertelsmann-owned podcast company, between 2021 and 2024.

He joined Fremantle in 1998 in a group finance role and went on to hold a variety of different operational and financial positions at Fremantle Enterprises, the commercial division of Fremantle.

McCourt’s departure was first reported on Deadline. The exec said on LinkedIn: “I am leaving Fremantle after 28 fantastic years with the company.

“The overriding emotion I feel is pride to have worked for so long at a company I love. It is a fabulous industry to be involved in and what a privilege to have worked on so many amazing shows and brands over the many years. In my various roles, I have travelled the world and have been involved in several ground-breaking deals.

“However, my greatest memories are about meeting and working with the most fantastic people, many of whom have become great friends. I am so lucky that my role has enabled me to work with colleagues and clients from around the world and to experience so many cultures and tastes in content. Fremantle has genuinely entertained the world and I’m very grateful and proud to have been a part of that.

“After a break I am looking forward to the next chapter in my career and new challenges ahead.”