Sarah Tomassi Lindman Joins Freeform as SVP, Content Planning and Strategy

Sarah Tomassi Lindman has been named senior vice president, Content Planning and Strategy at Freeform. It was announced today by Tom Ascheim, president, Freeform, to whom she will report.

An accomplished media veteran, Lindman will oversee the deployment of original series, acquired content, library series and tentpole events including "13 Night of Halloween" and cable's biggest programming event "25 Days of Christmas" across FreeForm and its digital footprint to deliver on the network's commitment to bring high quality, creative content to its audience, to optimize viewership and to create deep fan engagement. She will also manage Freeform's acquisition strategy and is responsible for acquiring programs that enhance and further Freeform's brand.

In speaking about her appointment, Ascheim said, "Sarah is a smart, strategic executive who has never lost her love for watching TV. She brings us great wisdom both about the audience and how to nurture a hit on all the platforms on which our audience spends time."

Prior to joining Freeform, Lindman founded Refractant Media Consulting where she helped companies achieve a level of content strategy that grew engaged, passionate audiences that advertisers want to buy. In 2012, she joined NBCUniversal where she was senior vice president, Program Strategy at Oxygen. During her tenure, she built a programming strategy that led to double-digit series rating increases and the best-ever series premiere in addition to a movie acquisition strategy that raised ratings 20% in key demos.

She was executive vice president, Program Strategy for MTV in 2009 where she launched and created the multi-platform programming strategy for MTV's highest-rated series ever, "Jersey Shore." Before her time at MTV, she was at Viacom Media Networks' The N and Noggin. In 2006 she was senior vice president, General Manager at The N, where she successfully transitioned The N from a daypart on a shared channel to an independent 24-hour network. She launched the youth brands Noggin and The N from 1998-2006 when she was vice president, Multiplatform Programming and Production, Noggin & The N, Director of Programming, Noggin.

She began her career at Warner Bros. and was a member of the team that launched Kids' WB in 1995 and continued to contribute to its expansion through 1998.

Lindman graduated cum laude from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.

About FreeForm (the new name for ABC Family) Part of the Disney|ABC Television Group, FreeForm is distributed in 94 million homes. The network 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/Craig Sjodin*