NBCUniversal has moved Lee Raftery to the newly-created position of managing director for the Africa, Europe and Middle East (EMEA) region, excluding the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
Lee Raftery has been the chief marketing and content officer and managing director for the United Kingdom and emerging markets at NBCUniversal International, and will, in addition to his new position, continue as NBCUniversal International's chief marketing officer as well.
Lee Raftery's executive change, effective from 1 July, is part of internal executive changes following the acquisition of the pay-TV company Comcast in the United States of the Sky pay-TV company in the United Kingdom in late-2018.
NBCUniversal International supplies various TV channel feeds into Africa and South Africa, carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service ranging from E! and Universal TV to Studio Universal and Telemundo Africa; and with channels like E! also carried on China's StarTimes outside of South Africa.
Sky's channels include Sky News on DStv, which is also in a joint channels venture with Disney for the A+E channels like History, Crime+Investigation and Lifetime also seen on DStv in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa, with some of its Sky Sports content carried on SuperSport.
Lee Raftery, based in London, reports to Kevin MacLellan, NBCUniversal's chairman of its global distribution and international division.
NBCUniversal's EMEA business and its pay-TV channels operations like Universal TV and E! will move to Sky's Osterley campus in London to work better with Sky's existing channels business.
"In his newly created role, Lee Raftery will lead the consolidation of a realigned EMEA networks' business into a single operation incorporating pay-TV channels across Europe, Middle East and Africa, excluding Sky territories United Kingdom, Germany and Italy," says NBCUniversal International in a statement.
"He will be supported by an integrated management team across three locations - London, Paris and Madrid - with a focus on building an integrated EMEA networks group."
"Moving on from a structure that featured three regional European groups, this newly combined EMEA networks' group will be significant in size and scale, comprising 17 channels feeds across NBCU's portfolio of seven brands."
"Combining our EMEA networks will maximize the growth potential of our channels and brands for years ahead," says Lee Raftery.
"The power of these great platforms, expertly overseen by a talented team across multiple locations, will continue to deliver the best quality, value and entertainment for our audiences."
Kevin MacLellan says ""I am delighted that Lee will be able to deploy his exemplary skills to the leadership of our EMEA business. With our newly aligned EMEA networks business, we are strongly positioned in a rapidly evolving pay-TV landscape to optimise our expertise, efficiencies and opportunities for future growth."
