ViacomCBS Int’l Studios appoints UK VP

ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) has appointed the VP of acquisitions at Cineflix Media’s UK-based distribution arm as its VP.

Kate Laffey

Kate Laffey has joined VIS from Cineflix Rights, where she had worked on expanding the company’s third-party content slate since joining from ITV Studios in 2013.

Based in London, Laffey will report to Pierluigi Gazzolo, president, studios and streaming, at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI).

Laffey will oversee all international studio development, production and commercial activity for VIS centrally, focusing on growing the VIS global studio footprint in all regions.

She will have oversight of an expanded central team that will include international development and production, and will lead VIS UK’s scripted sourcing for export. Laffey will also align with VIS’s tape sales division, led by Lauren Marriott.

Introduced in 2018, VIS is a division of VCNI that produces content for ViacomCBS brands and platforms, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Channel, Channel 5, Network 10, Telefe and Porta Dos Fundos, as well as for third parties.

Gazzolo said: “ViacomCBS International Studios has seen nearly 50% average revenue growth since inception, and with this steady growth, our studio business continues to play a crucial role in ViacomCBS’s overall content ecosystem.

“The phrase ‘content is king’ has never been more pertinent than in today’s global streaming landscape, and I am confident that Kate will be a driving force in the evolution of our business for the future.”