Networks Outsource Their Networking

From HBO and AMC to ESPN and the Tennis Channel, TV networks have relied for decades on cable and satellite providers to distribute their programming. In the era of streaming video, they’re trying to deliver shows and movies directly to viewers online, yielding a host of challenges more complex than negotiating fees with the likes of Comcast and DirecTV, says Paul Rehrig, senior vice president for business development at AMC.

“It’s hard, it’s complicated, and it’s moving at a pace that’s difficult to keep up with,” says Rehrig, who’s spent much of the past year overseeing the development of Shudder, a standalone streaming service aimed at horror-movie fans. “You need people who are first and foremost technologists with software engineering backgrounds.” AMC, like many networks, looked outside for help.