Keshet Studios expands its unscripted production footprint

Keshet Studios, the US studio owned by global producer and distributor Keshet International, has appointed Rebecca Mayer as Executive Vice President of Unscripted and Benjamin Long as Vice President of Unscripted. In these two newly created roles, production and development executives Mayer and Long will be tasked with expanding Keshet International’s unscripted production footprint in the United States while building on Keshet Studios’ recent production successes.

To date, Keshet Studios is best known for developing, packaging, and producing scripted content for the United States and global markets, including “A Small Light” (NatGeo/Disney+), “Echo 3” (Apple TV+), and “La Brea” (three seasons co-produced with Universal Television for NBC).

As a team, Mayer and Long’s focus will be on mining Keshet International’s extensive catalog of international IP to build a non-scripted slate of entertainment formats specifically for the US broadcast, cable, and streaming markets, alongside developing original IP with the potential to be distributed internationally by Keshet International. Based in Los Angeles, Mayer will report to Peter Traugott, President of Keshet Studios, with Long reporting to Mayer.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Rebecca and Benjamin into the Keshet Studios’ fold. As individuals, their extensive development and production experience is impressive, but together as a team, their combined creativity and passion make them a dream hire as we look to expand our remit into unscripted,”  Peter Traugott said.

Keren Shahar, CEO of Keshet International, added: “Rebecca and Benjamin’s arrival signifies the beginning of a new journey for Keshet Studios, and something of a return to form for Keshet International. We launched as a formats business a decade ago and I am personally very excited to be announcing Keshet International's expansion into unscripted in the United States.”

Rebecca Mayer, Keshet Studios’ newly appointed EVP of Unscripted, commented: “Ben and I are a strong team with years of experience working together and are both thrilled to join Keshet Studios, Keren, Peter, and everyone at Keshet International to take things to the next level. We look forward to diving into Keshet’s deep catalog of IP while also generating a diverse slate of original IP, allowing us to capitalize on our extensive relationships, adapt proven formats for the US market, and bring fresh ideas to life through strategic partnerships with brands, producers, and talent. With Keshet International’s global infrastructure and our affinity for scalable production models, we are excited to develop and produce content that prioritizes collaboration, story, creativity, and vision.”

Mayer joins Keshet Studios from Banijay Studios North America, where she was EVP of Programming and Development, overseeing current programming while developing original IP and adapting existing formats. Long also comes to Keshet Studios from Banijay Studios North America, where he worked within the development team for six years, rising through the ranks to Director of Development. Over the past three years, he and Mayer together produced a network pilot and saw several development deals through.