Paramount Global has promoted Lee Sears for the second time in less than a year as it looks to align its domestic and international broadcast, cable and streaming assets to create a global content powerhouse.“As we focus on driving earnings growth, it is critical that we drive commercial profitability across our business, in close alignment with our global organization,” Pam Kaufman, Paramount president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences, said in an internal memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.Kaufman announced that Sears had been promoted to president, international markets advertising sales. In June 2023, Sears was named executive vp, head of international advertising sales and integrated marketing after working in the studio’s international division for five years in various roles.Kaufman said Sears in an expanded role would lead international sales across Paramount’s streaming, pay TV and, for the first time, free to air broadcasters, “further uniting our commercial portfolio outside the U.S.”As part of an increasingly global focus at the Hollywood studio, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish discussed partnering with rivals in the U.S. market and internationally to offer streaming bundles after unveiling his fourth quarter financial results on Thursday.“We already have substantial experience with the power of bundling and streaming. We have hard bundles internationally with people like Sky, Canal and others. They’ve been key to our market entry strategy. They’re unquestionably additive to our Paramount+ sub base and economics,” Bakish told investors.
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