NBCUniversal International moves Lee Raftery to newly-created position as managing director for the Africa, Europe and Middle East region.

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."

Restructuring coming for the channels of NBCUniversal International Networks seen in Africa as NBCUI's pay-TV division moves to Sky's TV headquarters in London.

Restructuring, including people losing their jobs, is coming for the TV channels of NBCUniversal International (NBCUNI) seen in Africa like E! Entertainment (DStv 124), Universal TV (DStv 117) and Studio Universal (DStv 112) as NBCUI's pay-TV division must move to Sky's pay-TV headquarters at Osterley in London in the United Kingdom.

After Comcast's acquisition of Sky, part of the restructuring includes several organisational changes including to NBCUniversal International Networks for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, with Jeremy Darroch, Sky CEO, on Friday writing to staffers in an email that the restructuring is part of plans to "grow our audiences and bring our customers even better content" while working "more effectively and efficiently with our new colleagues".

Senior executives are expected to be a part of the staff that will be let go in the creation of NBCUniversal International's new channels business division for the region as NBCUI and Sky consolidate and integrate their programming departments.

NBCUI last restructured its distribution and network operations for the EMEA region in 2015.

"The first proposed change we have announced today is to combine NBCU's pay-TV channels with our own, basing them on our campus in Osterley. The second is to move NBCU's Europe, Middle East and Africa networks' London-based team to the same location," Jeremy Darroch told staff.

"In Germany, Sky will become the parent company of NBCU's Networks business and we plan to explore ways for both businesses to work more closely together, including possible co-location to Unterföhring."

"Finally, we are proposing that Sky's content sales and distribution activities, currently managed by Sky Vision, be operated by NBCU's Global Distribution business. We recognise that these proposals could have an impact on some of our colleagues within Sky and NBCU and, as always, they will be fully supported through these changes."

Kevin MacLellan, NBCU's chairman of global distribution and international, said in an email to staff that "Each of these proposals is the result of careful consideration from both NBCUniversal and Sky," admitting to it being a "difficult time" for some NBCU and Sky staffers.

"Affected employees are being spoken to in person today and will be fully supported with care, fairness and transparency over the coming weeks and months. Thank you for your sensitivity and support of your colleagues during this consultation period."

As part of the restructuring Sky Vision's 6 500 hours of programming will also be added to the catalogue of NBCUniversal International Distribution.

This division is responsible for sales of all TV and digital programming outside of North America for NBCUniversal with more than 120 000 TV episodes and over 4 000 movies as part of its catalogue.

Kevin MacLellan replacing Jeff Shell as the new chairperson of NBCUniversal International in London.

Kevin MacLellan is the new chairperson of NBCUniversal International, following Jeff Shell's appointment as chairperson of Universal's Filmed Entertainment Group.

Kevin MacLellan, based in London as Jeff Shell was before him, and will lead the day-to-day operations and the international expansion opportunities in divisions outside of North America.

Kevin MacLellan was previously the president of International Television and before that he was president of Comcast International Media Group and Comcast Entertainment Studios where he was responsible for Comcast's international television and new media properties such as the E! Entertainment and Style channels.

"Over 12 years with Comcast, Kevin MacLellan has proven himself to be a dynamic and talented executive," says Steve Burke, NBCUniversal president Steve Burke.

"With his extensive international experience, I am confident Kevin's strategic leadership will take NBCUniversal International into its next phase of growth," says Steve Burke.

"NBCUniversal and Comcast's unique combination of content and distribution assets present many significant opportunities to grow our international business across multiple markets and media platforms in a dynamically evolving landscape," says Kevin MacLellan.