Ben Pyne
Respected Disney Media Distribution President Ben Pyne has announced that he plans to leave the Company after 25 years of service. It was announced today by Bruce Rosenblum, president, Business Operations, Disney/ABC, to whom he reports. Pyne will stay on in his role through the summer to aide in the transition. This is the third high-profile departure following Ad Sales head Geri Wang and Marketing Chief Marla Provencio.
In making the announcement, Rosenblum stated, “Ben’s reputation in our industry is second-to-none. What he’s built here at Disney, and what he’s been able to accomplish over the past 25 years, is truly remarkable. While we’ll be sad to see him leave, we’re excited to see what his next chapter holds.”
“I am honored to have had such an amazing career at The Walt Disney Company, which has been rich with unique experiences and incredible accomplishments, and prepared me well for my next opportunity,” said Pyne. “It has been a special privilege to help build and grow brands, networks and programming that touch and enrich the lives of viewers all around the world. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with fantastic people both at Disney, across the wider industry, as well as around the world, and I would like to thank them all for their passion, commitment and hard work.”
Throughout his illustrious tenure at Disney, Pyne accomplished numerous substantial distribution achievements. Under his guidance, Disney Channel transitioned from a small pay cable channel to the successful global service it is today, growing its distribution from 6.5 million U.S. subscribers in 1992 when Pyne joined the Company to nearly 100 million U.S. households, as well as an additional 500 million subscribers to over 107 international Disney Channels that have been launched in the past 20+ years.