Katherine Pope to take over Sony’s unscripted arm as Holzman and Saidman exit

US-based Sony unscripted executives Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman are set to leave the company, with Katherine Pope due to take over their division.

Katherine Pope

Holzman, president of non-fiction at Sony Pictures Television (SPT), and Saidman, co-president, will depart to “pursue their next entrepreneurial venture,” according to an internal company note from SPT chair Keith LeGoy.

The note reads: “Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman will be transitioning from their roles at SPT to pursue their next entrepreneurial venture. Over the past four years, Eli and Aaron have played a critical role in shaping and expanding our non-fiction portfolio.

“Their leadership elevated the division and enhanced our slate during a period of significant industry change. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Pope will now expand her role as president of SPT Studios to include oversight of SPT’s unscripted operations, alongside her leadership of the company’s scripted and kids’ businesses.

The non-fiction division includes the labels Sharp Entertainment, Embassy Row, B17 Entertainment, 19 Entertainment, This Machine, Maxine Productions, Brass Monkeys Media and Rebel Minds Media.

Collectively, those outfits produce shows including American Idol, Shark Tank, the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, Watch What Happens Live, Extracted and On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.

LeGoy’s note to staff continues: “Katherine has built an incredible track record of bringing premium content to market and building enduring partnerships with top-tier talent that has consistently positioned the studio at the forefront of the industry.

“Integrating non-fiction under her leadership will further align our creative operations, accelerate collaboration across teams and enable us to unlock greater long-term value across the portfolio.”

Both Holzman and Saidman joined Sony as part of the company’s US$350m acquisition of Industrial Media, the prodco behind American Idol, in 2022. At that time, Industrial’s shingles included 19 Entertainment, B17 Entertainment, House of NonFiction, Sharp Entertainment, the Intellectual Property Corporation, This Machine Filmworks, This Radicle Act and Trilogy Films.

The news was first reported by Deadline.