Mubi appoints former FIC exec

Streaming service Mubi has appointed a former Fox International Channels (FIC) exec as its new chief operating officer.

Roberto Soto

Roberto Soto, formerly senior VP for subscription video business at FIC, will be responsible for Mubi’s strategy and overseeing the company’s ongoing business operations globally.

Soto joined FIC in 2013 before leaving the company last October.

He will report to Mubi founder and CEO Efe Cakarel, who said: “In the next year we will be expanding into China and continue to explore original productions. Roberto’s experience in heading strategic growth initiatives and extensive knowledge of the business come at a fantastic time.”

Mubi, which launched in 2007, is available in more than 200 territories and in the US costs US$4.99 a month or US$39.99 for a year. Indie films and art house shows make up the majority of its slate, with a new title added daily as older ones drop out.

The service recently partnered with Chinese entertainment company Huanxi in an investment deal worth US$50m.

Recent Mubi acquisitions have seen the firm take exclusive rights to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Junun in October last year, as well as signing major output deals with multiple international studios including Sony Pictures Television, Paramount Pictures, Miramax, eOne, Icon and StudioCanal.