Lionsgate has formed a new long-term employment deal with Kevin Beggs, the studio’s Television Group chair and chief content integration officer. Terms of the new contract were not disclosed.
Beggs and Lionsgate Television Group president Sandra Stern have led LGTV for 20 years, making them together one of the longest-running leadership teams in television. Beggs’ contract renewal also follows extensions across LGTV’s creative leadership team, with Scott Herbst, EVP & head of Scripted Development, Lee Hollin, EVP & head of Current Programming, and Jocelyn Sabo, SVP of Scripted Development, all signing new deals recently.
Lionsgate in the last year has had 14 new shows picked up to series and 15 current series renewed for additional seasons, among them broadcast network shows that Beggs has shepherded the renewal of such as “Home Economics” (ABC), “Welcome to Flatch” (Fox) and “Ghosts” (CBS). NBC also picked up an untitled family comedy from Mike O’Malley via Lionsgate.
The studio currently has more than 100 scripted and unscripted series spanning its Lionsgate Television, Pilgrim Media Group, Debmar-Mercury and 3Arts Entertainment platforms.
“Kevin and his team have done a great job in building Lionsgate Television into a world-class supplier of valuable premium content to buyers throughout the ecosystem,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said. “Kevin is a trusted partner whose entrepreneurial, innovative and collaborative approach reflects our culture at its best. Under his leadership, our television business is positioned to continue growing its profitability and strengthening its respected brand.”
As Lionsgate chief content integration officer, Beggs spearheads “Lionsgate 360” initiatives creating for cross-platform opportunities, most notably licensing the John Wick spinoff series “The Continental” to Peacock and launching series based on Lionsgate films such as “Step Up,” “Blindspotting” and “Swimming with Sharks.”
Other shows under Beggs’ leadership include “Love Life,” “Minx” and “Julia” at HBO Max and “Mythic Quest” and “Acapulco” at Apple TV+, as well as a slate of 15 series airing or in the pipeline at Starz, including three installments of the Power Universe (“Ghost,” “Raising Kanan” and “Force”), “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Blindspotting,” “The Serpent Queen” (in collaboration with 3Arts) and “P-Valley.” He’s also been a part of Lionsgate amid the release of hit shows like “Mad Men,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Weeds” and “Dead Zone.”
Beggs is the recipient of the Alliance for Children’s Rights’ 2019 “National Champion for Children Award,” Operation Smile’s John Connor Humanitarian Award, The Help Group’s Teddy Bear Humanitarian Award, and the Broadcasting & Cable 2014 Innovation Award. In October 2017, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. He has served on the Board and Executive Committees of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Los Angeles Paley Center for Media. He is currently a Board member of the homeless youth center My Friend’s Place, Cayton Children’s Museum, Southern California Public Radio and Green Dot Charter Schools. He was also recently named Chair of BANFF’s Board of Directors.
