MTV Networks' Ent. Group has promoted Erik Flannigan to evp, digital media. The Entertainment Group is comprised of a multi-platform portfolio of brands featuring the Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land cable channels, as well as Internet sites AtomFilms, AtomUploads, GameTrailers.com and Xfire. Flannigan supervises the linear channels' digital media teams, overseeing the networks' digital programming initiatives, to maximize revenue growth opportunities for the group and now will oversee all of the Entertainment Group's digital businesses as well.
In addition to the television network properties, Flannigan will oversee the videogaming site GameTrailers.com and PC-gaming application Xfire, as well as soon-to-be-integrated iFILM and SpikeTV.com, which will be merged later this year as Spike.com to create the Web's leading destination for men 18-34. Flannigan continues to supervise Atom Films and its UGC sister site AtomUploads (formerly Addicting Clips), Viacom's popular video-streaming sites, as well as representing all the channels' interests within MTV Networks.
Flannigan is based in the New York City offices of Comedy Central and Spike TV, where he was svp, digital media of the two channels since fall of 2006.
"Erik, in his short tenure here at MTVN's Ent. Group, has already had a major impact on our business," said Doug Herzog, president, the Entertainment Group, to whom Flannigan reports. "His new responsibilities reflect my confidence that his sophisticated understanding of digital media trends and his vision of how all of our brands can best capitalize on the evolving opportunities means we have exactly the right man in this crucial role."
Flannigan joined MTVN from AOL in Los Angeles in 2006, where he had been vp of programming, responsible for strategic and operational oversight of Moviefone.com, AOL Music, AOL Radio and AOL Television. Previously, he was at Buena Vista Datacasting/The Walt Disney Co. (2003-2005) in Burbank, California, as vp of programming, overseeing programming and acquisitions for MovieBeam. Prior to that he was vp of music services and programming at RealNetworks in Seattle (2001-2003). Earlier, Flannigan was svp, Entertainment Verticals, for the Walt Disney Internet Group in Seattle (1995-2001).
He was also active in publishing as managing editor of ICE magazine, contributing editor of THE ROCKET, as well as working on several albums and books.
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