30 Jul DEG Members Elect New Board, Adding AMC Networks, Angel Studios, Cineverse, Versant, Xumo
New Board Directors for 2025-26 (clockwise from top l.): Michael Pears of AMC Networks, Cameron Douglas of Versant, Sudhir Muralidhar of Xumo, Special Board Advisor Meri Hassouni of Giant Worldwide, Thomas Hughes of Angel Studios, Tony Huidor of Cineverse.
Leading trade association supporting digital media entertainment for 28 years
welcomed a dozen new members in last 12 months
LOS ANGELES (July 30, 2025) – Members of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, the leading digital media trade association supporting home entertainment, have elected a new board representing the industry’s increasingly diverse mix of products, services and business models.
DEG’s voting member companies elected the new Board of Directors to serve for the 2025-26 fiscal year (August 1 – July 31). AMC Networks is returning to the DEG Board, while Versant and Xumo are new additions. AMC Networks is represented by Michael Pears; Versant (Fandango) is represented by Cameron Douglas; and Xumo is represented by Sudhir Muralidhar. Tony Huidor of Cineverse will represent DEG’s Advanced Content Delivery Alliance (ACDA) on the Board, and Thomas Hughes of Angel Studios will represent the organization’s Direct to Consumer Alliance (D2CA).
Meri Hassouni of Giant Worldwide will serve as a Special Advisor to the Board, representing DEG’s Canon Club, of which she is Co-Chair. The Special Board Advisor role is non-voting and is intended to provide diversity of input from DEG members.
The Leaders of the DEG Board were elected to a two-year term in 2024 and will serve through July 2026. Officers include Chair Jonathan Zepp of Google (l.); Vice Chair Matt Strauss of NBC Universal Streaming Services (r.); CFO Andres Alvarez of Paramount Home Entertainment; Secretary Andrea Downing of PBS Distribution; and Chair Emeritus Dan Cohen of Paramount Global.
DEG, which was founded in 1997, moves through its third decade with an expanding global membership that includes almost 90 member companies encompassing all areas of the digital entertainment ecosystem. New members in fiscal 2024-25 include 3rd i Digital, 3Play Media, Gracenote, Hallmark Media, Markit.Place, Miller Kaplan, NBTV, Protiviti, Stingray, Symphony AI, Synamedia, and Whip Media.
“I look forward to continuing to work with DEG Board Leaders and Directors as our industry navigates this unique time of tremendous innovation for the creation, delivery and monetization of premium content,” said Chair Jonathan Zepp, Media & Entertainment, Global Partnerships at Google. “DEG provides special value to its members in the way it evolves to stay at the forefront of thoughtful industry dialogue, enabling productive collaboration through formal and organic activities throughout the year.”
“We welcome all of our new and returning DEG Board Directors and are thrilled to have AMC Networks, Angel Studios, Cineverse, Versant and Xumo on the Board,” said Amy Jo Smith, DEG President & CEO. “It validates our work that these companies and so many other digital-first innovators across the entertainment landscape see the value of working together within DEG to bring consumers the best possible digital entertainment experience.”
DEG BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Leaders of the Board (Fiscal Year 2025-26)
CHAIR
Jonathan Zepp
Media & Entertainment, Global Partnerships
Google
VICE CHAIR
Matt Strauss
Chairman
NBC Universal Streaming Services (Peacock)
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Andres Alvarez
EVP Head of Home Entertainment
Paramount Pictures
SECRETARY
Andrea Downing
President
PBS Distribution
CHAIR EMERITUS
Dan Cohen
Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount, and President, Republic Pictures
Paramount Global
Board Directors (Fiscal Year 2025-26)
Mark Garner
EVP Head of Global FAST
A+E Networks
Carolyn An
Head of Partnership Engagement, US, CA, LATAM and APAC
Amazon MGM Studios
Jude Fitzmorris
Head of Product & Engineering, Prime Video Acquisition Technology
Amazon Prime
Chris Blandy
Global Leader Strategy & Business Development, Media & Entertainment
Amazon Web Services
Michael Pears
EVP Distribution and Content Sales
AMC Networks
Thomas Hughes (D2CA Representative)
EVP Head of Distribution Strategy and Global Partnerships
Angel Studios
Tony Huidor (ACDA Representative)
President, Technology & Chief Product Officer
Cineverse
Alisa Bowen
President
Disney+
Matt Durgin
VP North America Content and Services
LG Electronics, USA
Ron Schwartz
President Global Distribution
Lionsgate
Jason Spivak
Co-President Distribution and Networks
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi
Michael Bonner
President Global TV Distribution
Universal Film Entertainment Group
Cameron Douglas
SVP OTT/Streaming
Versant
Katherine Pond
Group VP Platform – Content, Partnerships, & Marketing
VIZIO
David Decker
President, Content Sales
Warner Bros. Discovery
Bill Neighbors
Chief Content Officer
Xperi Corporation – DTS, HD Radio, TiVo, IMAX Enhanced
Sudhir Muralidhar
VP Products and Platforms
XUMO
Special Board Advisor (Fiscal Year 2025-26)
Meri Hassouni (Canon Club)
Chief Revenue Officer
Giant Worldwide
Download 2025-26 Board of Directors List
ABOUT DEG
DEG advocates and promotes entertainment platforms, products and distribution channels that support the movie, television, music, consumer electronics and IT industries.
DEG membership is comprised of: 360 Solutions, 3rd i, 3Play Media, A+E Global Media, A24, Amazon MGM Studios, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Web Services, AMC Networks, Angel Studios, Ateliere, bitMAX, Blu Digital Group, Cineverse, Circana, Deepdub, Deloitte, Deluxe Media, Disney+, Dolby Laboratories, Duplitech, ESPN+, Fabric, FilmRise, FPT Software, Frequency, FutureSource, GfK Entertainment, Giant Worldwide, GlobalLogic, Google, Gracenote, The Great Courses, Hallmark Media, HDMI, IDC-LA, Iris TV, IYUNO, LG Electronics, Lionsgate Entertainment, Looper Insights, Markit.Place, Mediagenix, Microsoft, Miller Kaplan, Movies Anywhere, NBTV, NexSpec, Omdia, Paramount Global, Paramount Home Entertainment, PBS Distribution, Peacock, Pixelogic, Play Anywhere, Plex, Premiere Digital, PRO-TEK Vaults, Protiviti, Reelgood, Respeecher, Screen Engine/ASI, The Sherlock Company, Shout Studios, Sonopress, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Spherex, Stingray, SymphonyAI, Synamedia, Tubi, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Versant, Vindicia, Vizio, VSYN+, Vubiquity, Warner Bros. Discovery, Whip Media, Xcinex, Xperi, Xumo and ZOO Digital.