AMC Entertainment Hires A Chief Strategy Officer, Seeks Alliances With Streaming Services Worldwide

AMC Entertainment said Monday it hired Mark Pearson in the newly created role of chief strategy officer to lead strategy, business development, alliances and partnerships, including with streaming services worldwide.

Pearson was previously executive VP, Business Development, Operations and Strategy at 20th Century Fox Television. He’s based at AMC’s Los Angeles office and reports to AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron.

As Pearson works to advance the global positioning of the giant exhibitor, AMC said he will lead the effort to hone AMC’s strategic direction, including initially concentrating on forging alliances with streaming services that could benefit from partnering with the company’s vast theatre network in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

Pearson was at Fox for 15 years and was previously at Universal Pictures, where he worked closely with studio management and distribution partners on a range of growth initiatives.

“Mark is media-world savvy, has extensive strategy and business development experience and is highly regarded within the Hollywood community. He is the perfect person to help AMC continue to innovate and create opportunities that benefit our existing studio partners, emerging streaming power houses, our customers and our shareholders,” Aron said. He said Pearson’s “considerable experience in the SVOD space will greatly help AMC to create partnerships with streaming services including those from both established and emerging players.”

“I’m thrilled to join AMC at this transformative time for the industry. I’m looking forward to helping … set strategic direction and identify growth opportunities that will extend AMC’s market leadership. AMC has a long history of innovation and I’m excited to continue that innovation through strategic partnerships and alliances that will add value for all stakeholders and audiences.”

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the U.S, Europe and globally with approximately 1,000 theaters and 11,000 screens.