Chris McCumber Joins Blumhouse As President Of Television, Jeremy Gold Named President Of Production

Former top NBCUniversal TV executive Chris McCumber has joined Blumhouse Television as president, overseeing all aspects of the company’s television business.

Jeremy Gold, who became solo Blumhouse TV president last month, following the exit of fellow co-president Marci Wiseman, will segue to a new position as president of production for Blumhouse Television, reporting to McCumber.

McCumber left NBCUniversal in September after a 19-year tenure, most recently as President, Entertainment Networks — USA Network & Syfy.

“As the proliferation of streaming services and buyers is at an all-time high, we see a tremendous opportunity in bringing Chris McCumber on-board to head the company and continue to help us scale our television business,” said Jason Blum, Blumhouse CEO and founder. “Jeremy Gold [and former co- president Marci Wiseman] helped take our television business to a whole new level three years ago, when they joined our burgeoning company, and I’m thrilled Jeremy is staying on to help to continue to build the company and oversee our growing slate for the television marketplace, where we have so much going on now, and anticipate having even more.”

McCumber, a respected veteran TV executive, joined USA in 2001 and has led the network since 2011. He was named President, Entertainment Networks – USA Network & Syfy in 2016. Under his leadership, USA has been the No. 1 entertainment cable network for 14 years – the longest streak in TV history. He oversaw some of the most profitable years in both USA and Syfy’s history even after linear ratings began to decline. McCumber developed, greenlighted and launched such hit series as USA’s Monk, Psych, Suits, Mr. Robot, Chrisly Knows Best and The Sinner. He worked with Blumhouse TV on USA’s The Purge, a series offshoot from Blumhouse’s hit feature franchise.

He also spearheaded negotiations for some of the biggest NBCU cable programming deals, including licensing WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown!, Harry Potter Wizarding World and Modern Family. At USA, he was the point person overseeing the network’s long, successful partnership with WWE.

Additionally, McCumber developed USA’s signature brand campaign “Characters Welcome” and rebranded Syfy in 2017. He also evolved Syfy into a multi-platform brand, adding adult animation, live pop-culture coverage, podcasts and talk and opinion via Syfy Wire, leading to the network posting its most profitable year ever in 2019.

McCumber joined USA in 2001 as SVP On-Air Promotion. He was named Head of Marketing for USA in 2004. McCumber served as USA Network Co-President alongside Jeff Wachtel from 2011-13 before becoming sole president of the cable network.

“I have a ton of respect for what Jason and Charles (Layton) have built in Blumhouse, and with the exponential growth in audiences and the insatiable appetite for programming, there hasn’t been a more interesting time to explore new creative avenues,” McCumber said. “The company’s powerful brand and legacy, made joining a compelling choice for me and I’m looking forward to working with the leadership to continue growing the brand and the television portfolio.”

Recent Blumhouse TV series also include The Loudest Voice, The Good Lord Bird, A Wilderness of Error and Sharp Objects.