Duncan East Joins Sunset+Vine as New CEO

Global sports production company Sunset+Vine has tapped Duncan East as its new CEO.

He joins the company immediately and will be based in its London office. Sunset+Vine also has regional hubs in Los Angeles, Glasgow, Cardiff and Milan.

East joins from Buzz 16, where he served as managing director and then executive director, overseeing strategy, production output and driving revenue growth across both the sport and lifestyle sectors.

His appointment at the transatlantic company, which is owned by Tinopolis Group, reflects its evolution as a multi-platform media business with digital at its forefront as the industry increasingly drives a surge for sports content that spans broadcast, streaming and social media.

At Sunset+Vine, which was founded 30 years ago, East will focus on scaling the company’s international presence, deepening strategic partnerships with rights holders and integrating live, original and digital-native content.

Prior to Buzz 16, East was at Sky Sports, where he rose to the position of director of creative output over two decades, overseeing production of flagship properties such as the Premier League and UEFA Champions League

“We have built a business over many years that has been trusted and favoured by broadcasters, rights holders and sports federations and I am really excited by Duncan’s passion and drive to maintain and grow our reputation as an innovator in the modern world,” said Jeff Foulser, chair of Sunset+Vine.

Jennifer Roberts, Tinopolis Group CEO, added: “Duncan is an experienced leader who instinctively understands the craft and commercial engine of modern sports media. As Sunset+Vine scales its international footprint, Duncan’s reputation as an innovator and ability to turn ideas into reality will be instrumental in defining our next era of growth.”

East said: “Sunset+Vine has an impeccable reputation for excellence in live sport, and I am honored to lead the team during such a transformative time for the industry. There is immense potential to expand our footprint into new formats and platforms while maintaining the world-class production standards to which our partners have become accustomed during the company’s more than three decades of industry leadership. I look forward to building on this incredible foundation.”

Sunset+Vine provides a variety of services such as host broadcasting, rights holder production and multi-platform digital content. Some of the premium sports titles it works on include Champions League football and tennis for Amazon Prime, World Snooker Championships for the BBC and Crufts International Dog Show for Channel 4.

Ibison Media carried out the executive search for East’s role.

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