Michael Lang has been promoted to president, International Development, Digital and Discovery Nordics.
Continuing to report to Jean-Briac Perrette, president and CEO, Discovery Networks International, he will be responsible for leading the overall business of the Nordic region consisting of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
These markets represent one of Discovery’s largest channel portfolios outside the US. The company is a top three broadcaster in the region, which also plays a significant role in Discovery’s sports broadcasting in Europe, especially as the home of the Olympic Games starting in February 2018.
Lang will continue to manage Discovery Networks International’s corporate development and digital efforts outside the US, reporting to Bruce Campbell, chief development, distribution & legal officer.
Lang joined Discovery’s London office in April 2016. Prior to joining the company, in addition to his most recent stint running his own advisory and sponsor equity firm, he served as CEO at Miramax and led business development at Fox Entertainment. In the latter, he helped create Hulu, acquire MySpace and launch several new cable channels.
Lang began his media career at The Walt Disney Company in both corporate and operating roles.
Commenting on Lang’s promotion, David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications, said: “In a little over six months, Mike has delivered tremendous value to our business, such as our ground-breaking BAMTech Europe partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media. He is a visionary and strategic leader, who will build on these strengths and unlock new opportunities for our Nordic business.”
Jean-Briac Perrette added: “I have known Mike a long time, and he has always demonstrated a unique blend of operational expertise, business development and transformative thinking.
“Expanding Mike’s role to lead the Nordics business will help us to further secure long-term growth with the help of the highly experienced Nordic management team led by Harald Stromme and Christian Kemp”.
