08 Aug DEG Members Elect New Board, Adding AMC Networks, Amazon Prime, Dolby, LG and Microsoft
Leading digital media trade association supporting home entertainment welcomed9 new members in first half of 2023
LOS ANGELES (August 8, 2023) – 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 2023-24 fiscal year (August 1 – July 31). AMC Networks is newly represented on the DEG Board, while Amazon Prime, LG Electronics, Microsoft and Dolby Laboratories are longtime members returning to the Board. AMC Networks is represented by Mike Pears; Amazon Prime is represented by Ron Lamprecht; Dolby is represented by Ron Geller; LG Electronics is represented by Matt Durgin, who also chairs the TV and Connected Devices committee in DEG’s D2C Alliance; and Microsoft is represented by Pedro E. Gutierrez, Jr.
The Leaders of the DEG Board were elected to a two-year term in 2022 and will serve through July 2024. Officers include Chair Dan Cohen of Paramount Global (far left); Vice Chair Jonathan Zepp of Google (left); CFO Andrea Downing of PBS Distribution; Secretary Rick Hack of Intel; and Chair Emeritus Jim Wuthrich.
DEG, which was founded in 1997, moves past the quarter century mark with an expanding global membership that includes almost 90 member companies encompassing all areas of the digital entertainment ecosystem. New members in 2023 include 360 Solutions, Deep Media, Edg.io, Fox Entertainment Global, IMAX, NexSpec, Play Anywhere, Shout! Studios and VSYN+.
“It’s exciting to see the DEG membership expanding to include even more platforms, content owners and technology partners that are committed to industry innovation and highly engaged in new ways to deliver premium entertainment experiences to consumers,” said DEG Chair Dan Cohen, Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount Global, and President, Republic Pictures. “DEG’s new Board is committed to serving the membership with opportunities for creative and results-driven collaboration across industry sectors.”
“We welcome all of our new DEG Board Directors and are thrilled to have Amazon Prime, Dolby, LG and Microsoft return to the Board,” said Amy Jo Smith, DEG President & CEO. “I’m grateful that companies across the digital entertainment landscape see the value of working together within DEG to bring consumers the best possible digital entertainment experience, delivering quality, value and convenience.”
DEG BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers of the Board (Fiscal Year 2023-24)
CHAIR
Dan Cohen
Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount Global,
and President, Republic Pictures
VICE CHAIR
Jonathan Zepp
Media & Entertainment, Global Partnerships
Google
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Andrea Downing
President
PBS Distribution
SECRETARY
Rick Hack
Head of Media & Entertainment Partnerships
Intel
CHAIR EMERITUS
Jim Wuthrich
Board Directors (Fiscal Year 2023-24)
Ron Lamprecht
Director, Corporate Business Development
Amazon Prime
Chris Blandy
Global Leader Strategy & Business Development, Media & Entertainment
Amazon Web Services
Michael Pears
EVP Distribution & Content Sales
AMC Network
Alisa Bowen
President
Disney+
Ron Geller
VP, Worldwide Content Relations
Dolby Laboratories
Matt Durgin
VP North America Content and Services
LG Electronics, USA
Ron Schwartz
President Global Distribution
Lionsgate
Andres Alvarez
SVP Digital Distribution – Partner Engagement & Strategy
MGM
Pedro E. Gutierrez, Jr.
Business & Marketing Category Lead for Entertainment & Advertising
Microsoft Corp.
Matt Strauss
Chairman Direct-to-Consumer and International
NBCUniversal Streaming Services (Peacock)
Bob Buchi
President Worldwide Home Media
Paramount Home Entertainment
Jason Spivak
EVP Distribution – North America
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi
Michael Bonner
President Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Universal Film Entertainment Group
David Decker
President, Content Sales
Warner Bros. Discovery
Bill Neighbors
Chief Content Officer
Xperi Inc.
ABOUT DEG
DEG membership is comprised of: 360 Solutions, A+E Networks, Amazon Prime, Amazon Web Services, AMC Networks, AMC Theatres, Azure, BB Media, BBC Americas, BIGtoken, bitMAX, BLINTN, Blu Digital Group, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Cineverse, Cinelytic, Circana, Comcast, Deep Media, Deepdub, Deloitte, Deluxe Digital Studios, Disney+, Dolby Laboratories, DTS, Edg.io, ESPN+, Fabric, Fandango/Vudu, FilmRise, Fox Entertainment Global, GfK Entertainment, Giant Worldwide, Google, HDMI, IMAX, Intel, Irdeto, IRIS.TV, IYUNO, LG Electronics, Lionsgate Entertainment, Looper Insights, Mediagenix, MGM Studios, Microsoft, Movies Anywhere, NAGRA, NexSpec, Omdia, Paramount Global, Paramount Home Entertainment, PBS Distribution, Peacock, Pixelogic, Pixelworks, Play Anywhere, Plex, Premiere Digital, Reelgood, Respeecher, Rightsline, Row8, Samsung Electronics, Screen Engine/ASI, The Sherlock Company, Shout! Studios, SmithGeiger, Sonopress, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Spherex, Technicolor, TiVo, Tubi, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Veritone, Verizon Business Group, Vizio, VSYN+, Vubiquity, Warner Bros. Discovery, Whip Media, Wondrium, XL8, Xperi, and ZOO Digital.