Deadliest Catch’s Original Prods ups Brian Lovett

LA-based Original Productions has upped Brian Lovett to become head of content strategy at the Fremantle-owned company.

Lovett, who was most recently exec vice president of programming and development, will lead all content for linear TV, AVOD, SVOD, YouTube, social media and FAST.

The move follows efforts by the firm to expand its operations through a push into FAST with the launch of Rig TV last year, which offers shows such as Jay Leno’s Garage, and YouTube-first programming with High in the Sky.

Lovett will also expand the production company’s brand partnerships and D2C efforts in his new role, as well as overseeing key brands such as Deadliest Catch. He continues to report into Jeff Hasler, Original Productions’ president.

Lovett joined Original Productions in 2018 and has worked on shows including Netflix series Waco: American Apocalypse and Phat Tuesdays for Amazon.

Hasler said: “Brian is a proven leader who has been instrumental in driving the growth and success of OP.

“He has been at the forefront of building our direct-to-consumer business alongside our linear and streaming businesses. With this promotion, Brian will further utilise his visionary approach and storytelling skills to grow our content slate and bring our shows to viewers across multiple platforms.”

Lovett added that he would be focused on “continuing to expand in the industry and bring compelling content to audiences everywhere.”