Australia’s Radar MCN digital network hires partnerships lead

Australia’s Radar MCN, the six-month-old digital network launched by producer WTFN, is expanding its distribution strategy and has hired former Beyond Rights CEO Kate Llewellyn-Jones to work across the nascent division.

Kate Llewellyn-Jones

Radar MCN launched in January to monetise WTFN’s content via owned and managed channels, as well as a series of global FAST channels, but the company will now also work with third-parties across all windows.

Llewellyn-Jones, who has taken the consultancy role of content partnerships lead, is based out of London and has been tasked with partnering with production companies, content creators and other rights owners to monetise untapped rights.

She will also work with companies under the WTFN umbrella, including WTFN Entertainment (production), Fred Media (TV distribution) and Empire Talent (talent management).

The company pointed to Bondi Vet as an example of its strategy: having started as a TV series watched at home and then sold internationally, it was placed online and counts four million subscribers across services such as YouTube and Instagram.

It also has its own branded AVOD and FAST channels managed by Radar and is available via Blue Ant Media’s recently launched FAST channel network, Love Pets.

Lleywellyn-Jones stepped down from Beyond in late 2021, leaving the Pooch Perfect outfit 16 months after taking up the position. She had previously been MD at UK distributor TCB Media Rights but left the company in 2018, prior to its acquisition by Beyond. That deal followed the collapse of TCB’s previous owner, Kew Media Group. Beyond was acquired by Banijay in January, with its catalgoue subsequently subsumed into Banijay Rights and its team disbanded.

WTFN MD Derek Dyson said Radar MCN would be “working end to end with the other business units to ensure every piece of content we represent works across the best mix of platforms – for maximum returns. The fact that we’ve grown out of a creative business makes us unique in this world. We have creativity in our DNA and understand what makes great content.”

Llewellyn-Jones added: “Having seen just what the Radar team can do and how quickly revenues can add up, I think many producers will be surprised to find out how much more can be mined from their content – especially for programming where they think the lifecycle has been exhausted or from content that’s not being properly managed.”

In related news, Radar MCN is to take over daily management of existing channels, as well as launch new channels, for Aussie-based user car channel ReDriven.