Jim Lanzone to Leave CBS Interactive; Marc DeBevoise Upped to CEO

Lanzone will become an executive-in-residence at Benchmark Capital.

Jim Lanzone is stepping down from his post atop CBS Interactive after eight years and his longtime deputy, Marc DeBevoise, is being promoted to CEO to fill his role. 

Lanzone, who also served as chief digital officer at CBS and oversaw the launch of direct-to-consumer streaming service CBS All Access, made the decision at the beginning of the year to move on from the role. When his contract expires at the end of 2019, he will become an executive-in-residence at Benchmark Capital. 

"It's been an honor to lead the CBS Interactive team for nearly nine years, and I’m thrilled that Marc will seamlessly continue the great work we’ve done together," Lanzone said in a statement. "Marc was one of the first executives I hired back in 2011, and he has been central to our digital transformation of CBS ever since. We've been planning this transition together since early in the year, and I know our team is in great hands going forward."

DeBevoise, who previously served as president and COO and CBS Interactive, will now oversee a division that includes more than 25 digital brands, CBS All Access and a suite of live streaming services including news-centric CBSN. 

"Jim has led CBS Interactive through a tremendous growth period, both as an operator and as someone who had the foresight to place CBS on the cutting edge of the digital media landscape," Joe Ianniello, president and acting CEO of CBS, said in a statement. "CBS All Access and our other streaming services have proven to be game-changing opportunities for the company. Jim and Marc's partnership has been instrumental in our digital transformation, and I’m pleased we will have a natural transition with Marc leading CBS Interactive going forward."

Lanzone, the former CEO of Ask.com, joined CBS in 2011 when it acquired his startup, internet TV guide Clicker.com. Under his leadership, the division grew to 190 million monthly unique users and launched a number of standalone streaming services including CBS All Access, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ and ET Live. He was named chief digital officer for CBS in 2016. 

All Access debuted during the beginning of the movement of linear media organizations taking their programming over the top. Soon after, HBO launched its standalone offering, HBO Go. All Access, which offers originals like Star Trek: Discovery and The Good Fight, and CBS' other streaming product, Showtime, have a combined 8 million subscribers. 

"Jim's vision charted the path for CBS Interactive to become the leading multiplatform premium content provider we are today," said DeBevoise. "We’ve built an incredibly valuable and high-growth digital media portfolio by developing new audiences, platforms, services and original content. We have a world class team to carry us into the future, and I’m excited to take on this role and continue to build on our vision."

Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com