Kevin Mayer: Last News

Entertainment finance firm Forest Road has launched its second SPAC with Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs as co-CEOs and co-chairs. Units of Forest Road Acquisition Corp. II started trading today on the New York Stock Exchange as the execs begin the search for a target company in the tech, media, telecommunications or consumer space.

Former Disney streaming chief and TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer is taking on another role in the streaming world. Mayer has been named chairman of the board of directors at DAZN Group, the global streaming sports platform.

Kevin Mayer, whose long tenure at Disney culminated in the successful launch of Disney+, is joining sports streaming outfit DAZN as chairman.

Former Disney and TikTok executive Kevin Mayer is exploring a deal to roll up several independent media and entertainment companies,including Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings and Ben Silverman’s Propagate Content,sources with knowledge of the talks tell The Hollywood Reporter. Blackstone is financing the venture and is expected to invest a minimum of $2 billion as part of an expansion of its media and entertainment holdings, says a knowledgeable source.

Began hearing this last week, but the drums are beating louder that Scooter Braun is in early discussions to sell his business, Ithaca, to former Disney and Tiktok honcho Kevin Mayer, who has backing through Blackstone. This is one of three offers being mulled.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorDisney alums Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs are in the early stages of shopping for content companies to roll up into a larger operating company with backing from private equity giant Blackstone. High on the pair’s wish list is Scooter Braun’s media and management firm SB Projects.A source close to the situation characterized the situation as limited to Mayer and Staggs expressing interest in a potential deal with Braun’s firm, which represents such music superstars as Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato and .

Entertainment finance firm Forest Road and a team of A-list media insiders from Tom Staggs to Kevin Mayer have closed a $300 million IPO of a new SPAC – a special purpose acquisition vehicle they’ll use to buy a private company in media, tech or telecom.

The Punisher. Bernthal received critical acclaim for his performance in the Netflix series, which was unfortunately cancelled after just two seasons back in February, 2019.Since then, Craig Erwich, who is the senior Vice President of originals over at Hulu, has teased that the streaming service would be interested in bringing the show back, while Disney’s Kevin Mayer had even said there was a chance that Disney+ might bring back the Marvel show, too. During his recent interview on the Geek House Show, Bernthal responded, “There’s always hope,” when quizzed about the show’s future chances.'Friends' reunion special set to film in MarchKate Mara suffered 'horrible experience' on the set of 'Fantastic Four'The Weeknd to headline Super Bowl LV

Kevin Mayer, the former Walt Disney exec who recently resigned as CEO of TikTok amid the threat of a ban over the popular social media app, has been named a senior media adviser for Russian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik's Access Industries. The move puts Mayer, a former chairman of Disney's direct-to-consumer business, at a company with significant media and entertainment sector investments.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorKevin Mayer, who spearheaded Disney’s pivot to direct-to-consumer streaming and briefly served as TikTok’s CEO, has joined billionaire Len Blavatnik’s investment company Access Industries as a senior media adviser.Blavatnik has stakes in Warner Music Group, which recently had a successful IPO, as well as sports streaming service DAZN and music and audio streaming outlet Deezer.Mayer, who had been in talks with private equity firm RedBird Capital, will focus on Access’ media businesses and identify new opportunities.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorKevin Mayer, previously a top Disney executive and — briefly — CEO of TikTok, has joined Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries investment firm as a senior adviser, focusing on the media sector.Mayer, who worked at Walt Disney Co. for more than two decades and steered the launch of Disney Plus a year ago, will focus on Access’ strategic media-related businesses and identify new opportunities across media, entertainment and telecommunications sectors.

The "Blank Check" bonanza continues. On Thursday, a new Special Purpose Acquisition Company called Forest Road Acquisition Corp.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorThere’s a SPAC born every minute – today a new one called Forest Road Acquisition registered with the SEC to raise $250 million and hunt for media and entertainment deals with executives and advisors from former TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer and former Walt Disney CFO Tom Staggs to basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.SPACs, or special purpose acquisition vehicles, proliferate when there’s more money floating around than there are places to invest for various reasons — now that’s mainly COVID.The SPAC is a shell company of film financing firm Forest Road. Harry Sloane and Jeff Saganksy, formerly of MGM, done a half dozen SPACs over the years.

Recently departed TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer is in advanced talks to join investment firm RedBird Capital, according to a source familiar with the situation. The move would put Mayer, formerly chairman of Disney's direct-to-consumer business, at a company that has made investments across the sports, media and entertainment sectors.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorA new TikTok Global would file for an initial public offering in the U.S. in about a year under a plan still awaiting approval by President Trump that would see Oracle and Walmart as major investors in the video sharing app, according to reports Thursday.TikTok is said to have approached Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom about becoming CEO following the departure of Kevin Mayer, according to news reports.

When Kevin Mayer left his big job running Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming business in mid-May, it was because he had an even bigger job to look forward to: one that would involve running fast-growing social video app TikTok while serving as COO of its $100 billion parent company, ByteDance. But during his first three months as TikTok CEO, the app became a pawn in President Trump’s battle with China.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNeedless to say, this isn’t how Kevin Mayer expected his bold career move to go.Mayer, after just three months on the job as TikTok’s CEO and chief operating officer of Chinese parent company ByteDance, said Wednesday that he is resigning amid the tumultuous geopolitical climate battering TikTok — led by Donald Trump’s anti-China agenda — which ultimately will force ByteDance to sell the TikTok app business in the U.S. (and likely other countries).

TikTok is going through another major shakeup.

Dominic Patten Senior Editor, Legal & TV CriticLess than four months after leaping over from the Walt Disney Company, Kevin Mayer has resigned as the CEO of TikTok.“In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” Mayer wrote today to staff at the ByteDance controlled short video-sharing app. “Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company,” the once time House of Mouse executive added.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterU.S. software giant Oracle has become the latest company to enter the mix to acquire social media platform TikTok from Chinese outfit ByteDance, according to multiple reports.CNBC is saying that Oracle and Microsoft are “far ahead” of other companies reportedly in the race for the popular but controversial service, which has been under a cloud in the U.S.

Peter White Television EditorDisney+ content chief Agnes Chu is leaving the Mouse House to head up Condé Nast Entertainment’s video push.Chu, who was SVP, content for the nascent streamer, is set to become president of the publishing company’s studio and distribution division. She joins in September and reports to Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch.She is the latest top Disney exec to leave in recent months following the departure of Kevin Mayer, Disney’s Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer & International division, to TikTok.Deadline understands that Chu will remain with Disney until mid August and is working closely with Ricky Strauss, President of Content and Marketing for Disney+ on the transition.