Amit Ziv Joins Freeform as VP, Strategy and Business Development

Amit Ziv has been named vice president, Strategy and Business Development at Freeform, it was announced today by Tom Ascheim, president, Freeform, to whom he will report.

In his new position, Ziv will be a key advisor in evaluating and identifying growth opportunities while developing new strategic business initiatives to improve the network's revenue, grow its brand and LEVERAGE its partnerships across platforms. He will work closely with Ascheim and is responsible for managing Freeform's annual planning processes. Ziv will also advocate the business interests of FreeForm throughout the Disney|ABC Television Group.

"In the rapidly changing world of television, we need thinkers who are innovative and entrepreneurial to help build our new future," said Ascheim. "Amit has a proven track record helping build businesses, and we can't wait for him to help us continue to build out the world of Freeform."

Prior to joining Freeform, Ziv served as senior vice president of Business Operations, Development and Strategy for EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom, Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. In his role, Ziv was responsible for long-range strategic business planning and special projects for the CEO and GM/EVP of EPIX, as well as structuring multiplatform distribution deals for EPIX's suite of premium movie channels with major MVPDs (e.g., AT&T U-verse, Verizon FiOS, Time Warner Cable, Charter, Dish Network, Cox and more), and leading OTT distributors (SVOD, VMVPD) such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, Sling and Playstation Vue.

He also spearheaded digital business development efforts for EPIX (linear, VOD) with key TV Everywhere platforms including Google (Android, Chromecast), iOS, Roku, PlayStation, XBOX, and more.

Ziv was a senior consultant for Ernst & Young's Strategy & Operations consulting practice prior to joining EPIX and worked with a broad range of media and entertainment companies in the areas of strategic planning, margin improvement and organizational design. Prior to joining Ernst & Young, he started his career as the director of Business Development for Madwood Media/Flutie Entertainment, a talent management and TV production company specializing in endorsements and unscripted programming.

Ziv holds a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in corporate finance and strategy from the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.

About FreeForm Part of the Disney|ABC Television Group, FreeForm connects to audiences and goes beyond entertainment with bold original programming and immersive social engagement. The network delivers a unique mix of quality original and acquired series, plus fan favorite movies and the holiday events "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas." The FreeForm app is a service that allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access via a wide array of devices.

Photo credit: Freeform/Bernard Smith

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