Fox Forms New Unit for Next-Gen Entertainment

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21st Century Fox has formed a new unit that will work with its TV networks and movie studio to create next generation storytelling experiences.

Salil Mehta was named president of the new unit, dubbed FoxNext. Mehta joined Fox in 2013 and was president, content management for Twentieth Century Film.

Mehta will report to both Peter Rice, chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, and Stacy Snider, chairman of Twentieth Century Fox Film.

Related: Fox Reveals Player-Perspective Technology for Super Bowl

FoxNext will oversee VR experiences for studio franchises including Alien and Planet of the Apes. It will also handle gaming applications for titles including The Simpsons.

“We’re excited by the power of new technologies to drive the art of storytelling forward and we know we’ve only scratched the surface. Salil brings a strategic business vision and a deep understanding of new technologies allowing us to expand our creative capabilities,” said Snider.

Reporting to Mehta will be Rick Phillips, newly appointed Executive VP of Fox Interactive; Greg Lombardo, senior VP of Fox Location Based Entertainment; Brendan Handler, Senior VP of New Media and General Manager of FoxNext’s VR Studio; and Ted Schilowitz, Fox Futurist.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.