Paramount‘s growing Paramount Sports Entertainment (PSE) unit, headed by Jesse Sisgold and producing scripted and unscripted programming for the company’s own platforms and third-party media and streaming services, has made a trio of hires.
Stefanie Markman joined the division as head of business & legal affairs, while Alix Teppel has come on board as head of marketing & partnerships, and KC Warnke was hired as head of physical production.
Sisgold shared the news of the hires in an internal memo obtained by THR. “Our new division is quickly establishing itself as a premium destination for sports-driven content and experiences with more than 20 greenlit projects, 10 Sports Emmy nominations, and multiple #1 releases across streaming and cable platforms!” he wrote. “As a reflection of this momentum, I am thrilled to share three key additions to the executive leadership team at Paramount Sports Entertainment.”
Alix Teppel, courtesy of Paramount Sports Entertainment
About Markman’s role, he said that she will oversee all business and legal matters for the studio and “help guide PSE’s growth beyond storytelling into the broader non-live sports entertainment landscape.” She joins from Hello Sunshine, where she served as general counsel and head of business & legal affairs after nearly eight years at Netflix as vp of business & legal affairs for original series, “supporting early flagship titles including Stranger Things and Bridgerton.”
Teppel will oversee marketing, brand strategy and “revenue-driving collaborations.” She most recently served as chief commercial officer at Tim McGraw’s Down Home and previously spent 15 years at Warner Bros. Discovery, where she ended up serving as vp of network partnerships & brand innovation. “Alix brings more than 20 years of experience building content-driven revenue and partnership strategies across media and entertainment,” Sisgold highlighted in the memo.
Warnke is tasked with scaling PSE’s production capabilities, “with a focus on scripted and event production.” He joins the company from Netflix, where he served as vp of production for original series, “overseeing global hits including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Dahmer, Mindhunter, Narcos, and 13 Reasons Why.” Prior to Netflix, Warnke served as head of production at Asylum Entertainment.
KC Warnke, courtesy of Miranda Corbell
Concluded Sisgold: “Stefanie, Alix and KC each bring deep experience building and scaling premium content businesses at the highest level. Their leadership will be instrumental in driving our production pipeline, expanding partnerships, and supporting our next phase of growth.”
