Sports lifestyle firm plots MCN push with ex-Discovery exec

Dee Smith

Bullseye TV co-founder and former Discovery Communications executive Dee Smith has landed the post of director of content at sports lifestyle group Factory Media, which is pushing into television.

UK-based Factory has around 27 lifestyle sports and culture online and print brands, and has employed Smith in part to use these to create a multi-channel network.

“We think we’ve found in Dee a unique combination of skills both in ‘traditional’ TV, building up production companies and overseeing broadcast production to a profound hands-on understanding of digital content strategy,” said Factory CEO Darryl Newton. “We have huge ambition to build scale and believe Dee will play a pivotal role in helping us realise that.”

Smith will look to create and acquire content for Factory’s multiplatform audience, and develop, create and deliver programming for UK and international broadcasters.

Furthermore, she will manage international sales of Factory’s IP across all platforms. “Factory Media is one of those rare gems where established content, audience and platform meet and the combination is virtually unexploited,” she said. “What I’m here to do is connect up brands, broadcasters and publishing for 360-[degree] delivery.”

Smith is best-known as co-founder and production director at UK prodco Bullseye, which is now part of the Zodiak Media stable. After exiting Bullseye, she joins Discovery as executive producer and worked on more than 250 jours of programming across factual and factual entertainment.

More recently, she founded an SEO and social media-optimised video encyclopaedia and ‘v-commerce’ company, iMama.tv.