Vice Media, the once high-flying media company, has recruited a new CEO: Adam Stotsky, who spent nearly two decades at NBCUniversal and was president of Dick Clark Productions. The company also announced that Bruce Dixon, who had served as CEO and co-CEO since February 2023, will leave Vice.
Stotsky, whose first day at Vice is Monday (June 16), is based in Los Angeles and reports to Mike Lang, executive chairman of Vice Media and president of Lang Media Group.
Vice Media is owned by Fortress Investment Group, Soros Capital Management and Monroe Capital, former lenders to Vice which acquired the company in a deal worth $350 million after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 2023. The owners in late 2023 tapped Lang, a veteran of TV, film and game industries who was one of Hulu’s founding executives, as executive chairman; he had served as an adviser to Fortress Investment.
Stotsky’s appointment follows the recent announcement of former Amazon and Paramount Television executive Amy Powell joining the company as president of Vice Studios.
Stotsky will oversee Vice Media’s portfolio, which comprises four divisions: Vice Studios, Vice Sports (which includes the Vice TV cable television network), Vice Commercials (the combination of Pulse Films and London Alley labels), Vice News (which includes the “Shane Smith Has Questions” video podcast), and ad agency Virtue. In May 2024, the company announced a joint venture with Nashville-based Savage Ventures to operate its Vice-branded digital channels (not including Vice News).
“Adam is a seasoned operator with deep brand expertise across television, sports and media,” Lang said in a statement. “He is the perfect executive to lead Vice for our next phase of growth. The company has significant momentum and with Adam now in place, we are well-positioned for the future.”
Stotsky has more than 30 years of experience in TV, sports and entertainment marketing. At NBCU, he served as president of two television networks, E! and Esquire Network. He also served as chief marketing officer of NBC Entertainment. Most recently, Stotsky led the commercial and creative transformation of Dick Clark Productions, culminating in its sale to Penske Media Corp. (which is the owner of Variety). As president of Religion of Sports, he led the company’s operational and business strategy as it raised a $50 million equity round.
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Stotsky commented: “I look forward to building the company and the Vice brand during a time of rapid change and consolidation in the media and entertainment sector. I want to thank Mike and the Board for the opportunity to lead Vice and am excited to partner with the talented teams across the company.”
Vice Media’s recent announcements include a distribution deal with ITV Studios and the recent acquisitions of Cuba Pictures (from Curtis Brown and UTA) and London Alley. Vice Studios is the producer of TV franchise “Gangs of London” and of “Bama Rush” on HBO Max; in addition, an unscripted “Bama Rush” spinoff series is slated to premiere on Lifetime this summer. The company’s sports programming includes the launch of original series on Vice TV with partners such as Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
From Variety US