Kevin Mayer To Headline Mip TV

Former Disney exec and DAZN Chairman Kevin Mayer, along with Moonbug Entertainment CEO René Rechtman, is to headline this year’s MIP TV.

Mayer, the Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Candle Media, which acquired Moonbug late last year, will give a keynote alongside Rechtman discussing the strategy and future plans of both Candle and Moonbug.

Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz will also speak at the market, which takes place in early April in person after two years of cancellations.

“It could not be timelier to welcome René and Kevin to the Cannes stage,” said Mip TV director Lucy Smith. “Whilst their new owners are presently the industry’s most high profile, acquisitive startup investing in, and supporting, storytellers whose companies can thrive creatively, commercially, and technically in a future media landscape. It will make for an enlightening and entertaining session.”

Mayer previously worked in senior roles for Disney before joining TikTok as CEO in 2020. His tenure at TikTok was brief and he has since become Chairman of acquisitive sports company DAZN, while running Candle Media with Tom Stagg.

Candle Media has also acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, Fauda creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff’s Faraway Road Productions and taken a stake in Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook.