Mike Sneesby, currently the head of Australian streamer Stan, has been appointed CEO of its parent group Nine Entertainment. His elevation follows the imminent departure of Hugh Marks and other board room changes at the one of the country’s largest media groups.Marks, who presided over the transformation of Nine from a legacy TV group into a broadcast, publishing and digital player through the acquisition of newspaper giant Fairfax, will depart at the end of the month. He resigned following revelations...
Nine Entertainment
Mike
Sneesby
CEO
Sneesby had a baptism by fire soon after taking over last year at the Australian media conglomerate, having to deal with a cyberattack that took most of the company offline. Nine Entertainment’s assets span TV network Nine through to streamer Stan and newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald. Sneesby came to the position after nearly eight years running Stan and has since focused on driving growth at Nine’s streaming business and diversifying the company’s digital revenues. Premium and local content are priorities for him, as shown by Nine’s pricey AU$575 million five-year free-to-air deal for rights to the National Rugby League. Sneesby has won plaudits for navigating the business through tough COVID restrictions without job losses or relying on government payouts.