SkyShowtime appoints Kai Finke as Chief Content Officer

Former Netflix executive Kai Finke has been appointed as Chief Content Officer of SkyShowtime. Based in Amsterdam and reporting to Monty Sarhan, CEO of SkyShowtime, Finke will lead the programming team, replacing Jon Farrar, who has decided to leave the company following a transition over the coming months.

In this new role, Finke will oversee the vast and growing scope of the department, following SkyShowtime’s entry into original programming this year. Finke will be responsible for programming strategy, overseeing the service’s pipeline of partner studio entertainment, merchandising and scheduling, and SkyShowtime’s original programming slate and acquisitions.

Finke joins SkyShowtime from Netflix, where he was one of their EMEA-based employees, and most recently worked as Director of Content across multiple European markets. He has worked in production, international distribution, and acquisitions for more than 20 years, including for Munich-based distributor Telepool and for Vodafone.

This year, SkyShowtime will have launched ten original series including “Bosé,” “Codename: Annika,” “Fleeting Lies,” “Poker Face,” “The Invisible Ladies,” “The Winner,” and “Warszawianka.” A key part of Finke’s focus will be to build on that success by bringing in new projects and acquisitions that resonate with local audiences across SkyShowtime’s markets. His mandate will also include working closely with SkyShowtime’s shareholders as well as leaders across the company to optimize subscriber acquisition, engagement, and retention.

“Kai is a proven programming executive who brings together strong creative sensibilities with business acumen. As we continue to expand into original programming, his wide range of experience – along with his knowledge of our markets – make him the ideal choice to lead our programming team in this next chapter of our growth,”  Sarhan commented.

“SkyShowtime’s continued push into local programming, in addition to the global exclusive series and movies available from Paramount and NBCUniversal, make the service hugely compelling for both audiences and the creative industries across Europe. I am hugely excited about the opportunity to be a part of the SkyShowtime team that brings this amazing entertainment line-up to over 20 markets,”  Finke added.