Fathom Entertainment, the specialty distributor jointly owned by major theater chains AMC, Cinemark and Regal, has named Jason Brink as its new CEO. Brink succeeds Ray Knott, who announced his retirement from Fathom earlier this year.
Colorado-based Fathom distributes one-time cinematic events, from live broadcasts of operas, plays and live concert pictures to anniversary re-releases of classic Hollywood films. As cinema chains seek to supplement films from major studios (which are still lagging behind pre-Covid numbers, though this year may change that), Fathom has increasingly been looking for a variety of programs that can help fill the void.
Brennick was most recently the founder and CEO of cloud cinema distribution platform MetaMedia, and before that he worked in senior roles at Imax, where he was executive vice president, and at Walt Disney Co. Where he was Senior Vice President of Digital Cinema and Cinema Programming.
“Jason is the right leader to build on the foundation of Fathom’s incredible success in theatrical distribution and move the company into its next era of growth,” Adam Rimmer, chief commercial officer at Regal Global Entertainment, said in a statement on behalf of Fathom’s board of directors. “Jason’s experience in theatrical distribution, content, event cinema production, marketing and technology, combined with his history of working with Fathom and deep understanding and appreciation of the company, made him the obvious choice. We are grateful to Ray Knott for the exceptional legacy he has left behind and are thrilled to see what Jason and the amazing team at Fathom will build from here.”
“There are very few companies in this industry that truly expand what the moviegoing experience can be,” Brink added. “Fathom created the ‘event cinema’ category, and I have admired what this team has built for over a decade. Having had the opportunity to work with Fathom at various stages of my career, I have seen first-hand the care and creativity this organization provides to content producers, cinema partners and millions of consumers.” “Under Ray’s leadership, Fathom has grown into something truly special during this period of radical change in the broader entertainment industry – a company with a loyal audience, a distinct identity, and a real and expanding role in the theatrical landscape.”
“My focus will be on expanding and elevating the content we deliver to the big screen, deepening the relationships we have with our exhibitors and content partners, and growing Fathom’s reach and relevance in ways that deliver community experiences for audiences and grow the broader entertainment ecosystem,” Brink continued. “I couldn’t be happier to lead this company into its next chapter.”
