Sky Content Rejig Team Expands Responsibilities of Meghan Lyvers and Caroline Cooper

Comcast-owned European media and telecommunications giant Sky recently reshuffled all of its non-sports content teams in the UK and Ireland into a single leadership structure led by Cécile Frot-Coutaz, who has expanded her role from CEO of Sky Studios to include chief content officer.

In late July, BBC Studios announced that its BBC Studios Productions division had appointed Zai Bennett, Sky’s managing director of content, as its new chief executive and chief creative officer, starting in the autumn.

Frot-Coutaz has now expanded the responsibilities and remit of Meghan Lyvers, Phil Edgar-Jones and others as part of Sky’s new content team structure.

Lyvers will head up the scripted group as executive director of original scripts, while Julia Stuart, director of original films, will now report to her, along with Katherine Butler on drama commissioning, Alex Moody on comedy commissioning and Lyvers’ current affairs reporting.

Edgar-Jones will now head up the unscripted group as executive director of original unscripted, “where he will have overall leadership across our entertainment, arts and factual offerings,” according to Sky. Poppy Dixon, director of documentary and factual, will now report to him in addition to his current reporting.

“As part of his role as executive director of content strategy and performance, responsible for our platform and channel performance, Jamie Morris will also take on responsibility for our compliance teams led by Elizabeth Rowlands, director of content compliance and policy, and Sky Kids original programming commissioning led by Lucy Murphy, director of children’s content for the UK and Ireland,” Sky said.

Meanwhile, Helen Northrop, chief commercial officer for unscripted, will now report to Caroline Cooper, who will expand her responsibilities from CFO content to COO Sky Studios and Content. “This means that all business affairs, production management, systems and operations and international finance across unscripted and unscripted will be managed by a single management team,” Sky said.

Katie Keenan, group acquisition director, will now report directly to Frot-Coutaz.

The company is also expanding Sky Studios’ Original Brands team to encompass all original scripted and priority unscripted titles across Sky Studios and Content, as well as awards work, the company revealed. As director of original brands and international marketing, studios and content, UK and Ireland, Harrison Kelly will lead the combined unit, while Luke Seraphin, head of diversity and inclusion, Sky Original Programming, will also report to Harrison. The aim is to “continue to work closely with producers, talent and the wider creative community”, Sky said.