Black Bear Hires Dan Cohen, Launches Digital Networks Unit — SkimNews
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- Black Bear named Dan Cohen as head of television distribution, a hire designed to support a slate targeting 10-12 independent film releases per year including "Wicker," "Wife and Dog," "Jason Statham Stole My Bike," "A Woman in the Sun," "Jonah" and "Atmosphere."
- Cohen stepped down in July 2025 from his roles as Paramount's chief content licensing officer and president of Republic Pictures ahead of Paramount's merger with David Ellison's Skydance Media.
- Before Paramount, Cohen spent 20 years at Disney/ABC, serving as Walt Disney Studios' executive VP of Pay Television and Digital Sales for Home Entertainment and Television Distribution.
- Black Bear is launching Black Bear Digital Networks, a unit helping large independent content owners monetize shows syndication-style across digital channels, with inaugural clients Sinclair Networks, Tubi, CJ ENM and the National Wrestling Alliance.
- Cohen will oversee Black Bear's post-theatrical licensing infrastructure; CEO Teddy Schwarzman cited his "licensing expertise, industry relationships and strategic vision" as central to expanding the studio's U.S. distribution reach.
Why it matters: Black Bear is converting a single executive hire into a two-front expansion: bolstering distribution for its own growing 10-12 film-per-year indie slate while building a syndication-style service for outside content owners, anchored by four named launch partners. For Cohen, the role packages post-theatrical and digital monetization under one roof after a career split between Disney's home entertainment operation and Paramount's content licensing arm.
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