Bryan Thoensen: Celebs Rumors

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Max Cutler, one of Spotify’s most senior podcast execs, is departing the streamer after nearly four years with the company. Cutler, who has served as Spotify’s VP, head of talk creator content and partnerships, will be leaving the company to “return his entrepreneurial roots,” according to a source close to Spotify. He had joined Spotify in 2019 with its acquisition of Parcast, the scripted podcast studio he co-founded. Cutler will remain at Spotify until May 1. With Cutler’s exit, Spotify head of global podcast studios Julie McNamara is assuming leadership of licensed podcast exclusives, which include its deals with Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper (“Call Her Daddy”) and Emma Chamberlain.

William Earl Executives from TikTok, TheSoul Publishing, Roku, Hulu, and NBCUniversal join Variety President and Chief Media Analyst of Variety Intelligence Platform Andrew Wallenstein in the Variety Streaming Room for an exploration into how platforms are developing and producing content that will connect with modern audiences on a large universal scale. Victor Potrel, VP Platform Partnerships, TheSoul Publishing; Tedd Cittadine, Head of Content Partnerships, Roku; Reagan Feeney, SVP Live Content Programming and Partnerships, Hulu; Bryan Thoensen, Head of Content Partnerships, TikTok; and Val Boreland, EVP Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal, sit down for a conversation about what is crucial in building popular content for modern viewership.  Find out what video categories — long-form, short-form, comedy, family-friendly and more — are widely engaging to audiences of all ages. Panelists will also talk about how mastering content curation and discovering strategies are important to break through in a competitive media landscape. The session will also explore how programmers are developing loyal audiences by extending the footprint of favorite IP and content brands across various channels and platforms. “As our video content has more social views than any other publishing studio in the world, TheSoul Publishing is thrilled to collaborate with Variety to spark a timely conversation around modern storytelling as audiences are continuing to stream their entertainment at massive levels,” said Victor Potrel, VP of Platform Partnerships, TheSoul Publishing.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorTikTok, which now boasts more than 1 billion monthly users across the globe, isn’t a social media app — it’s become a top entertainment destination for a new generation.That’s according to Bryan Thoensen, head of content partnerships at TikTok, who says the short-form video platform has long outgrown its roots as a way for teens to share lip-syncing video clips.In the latest episode of Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast, Thoensen discusses the company’s efforts to expand its work with creators and entertainment companies and capitalize on its recent momentum.