CuriosityStream hires former Showtime CEO Matthew Blank

Documentary SVOD CuriosityStream has announced the hire of industry veteran Matthew Blank to its board of directors as it looks to continue its rapid expansion.

CuriosityStream, which announced that it is to become a public company earlier this month, was created by Discovery founder John Hendricks in 2015 and currently serves over 13 million paying subscribers in over 175 countries and territories.

Looking to build upon this, the company has turned to Blank – the former CEO and chairman of Showtime Networks.

In addition to the 20 years at Showtime where he was responsible for hit series including Homeland and Dexter, Blank spent 12 years at HBO where he held a number of orioles including SVP of consumer marketing. He also served on the board of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) for nearly 25 years, sits on the boards of Cumulus Media, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and The Cable Center, and has been inducted into the Cable Television and the Broadcasting and Cable Halls of Fame.

Of the new hire, CEO John Hendricks said:  “Matt Blank brings an extraordinary wealth of stunningly successful media experience to the CuriosityStream Board of Directors. When Matt took the helm at Showtime, I watched in admiration as he built the pay service over two decades into a leading world force in premium programming with an incredible roster of valuable mega-hits and brand-defining series. All of us at CuriosityStream welcome Matt’s role on our board of directors, where he’ll provide skillful guidance and wise advice in our mission to deliver the absolute best in premium factual entertainment.”

Clint Stinchcomb, president and CEO of CuriosityStream, said: “Matt was an early champion of the rich global opportunity in streaming blue-chip content to consumers both directly and with distribution partners of scale. I couldn’t be more delighted that Matt has agreed to join our board. As we grow organically and through opportunistic acquisition, Matt’s strategic guidance will be invaluable.”

Blank said: ‘I’ve known John Hendricks for over 30 years and he is truly one of the great media entrepreneurs of our time. There is such incredible opportunity for growth in the industry right now and I’m thrilled to join with John and his top-notch team at CuriosityStream to deliver on his core vision to share the best factual entertainment with viewers around the globe.”