Paramount appoints Reemah Sakaan as President of 5

Most recently, Sakaan was Global CEO of BritBox International, the streaming service operating in markets including the US, Canada, Australia, Africa, and the Nordics.

She will join 5 on 27 January and will report to Kevin MacLellan, President of International and Global Content Distribution at Paramount. 

The broadcaster’s commercial distribution and product teams will report into Sakaan – as will Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer of 5, and his teams in commissioning, content, and marketing. Sakaan will also work in partnership with Lee Sears, President of International Ad Sales at Paramount.    

The newly appointed executive succeeds Sarah Rose, who left Paramount at the end of 2025 to join The Royal Foundation as Chief Executive.   

Sakaan was a Founder and Chief Creative Officer of BritBox when it launched in 2017 and scaled the 50/50 joint venture between BBC and ITV internationally. Appointed Global CEO in 2020, she oversaw BBC Studios’ acquisition of ITV’s share of the business in 2024, before stepping down in 2025.    

At BritBox, Sakaan negotiated global supply deals with Amazon, Apple, Google, and Comcast. She also commissioned and co-produced a range of returnable British originals for the global streamer, including: Irvine Welsh’s International Emmy-winning Crime; After the Flood; Beyond Paradise; and new Agatha Christie adaptations, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans, Murder Is Easy, and Towards Zero.   

Sakaan was previously the Director of Marketing and Media for ITV, where she helped launch ITV Hub. Additionally, as the former Head of Marketing for BBC One, she was part of the team that launched iPlayer. Prior to this, Sakaan began her career in FMCG marketing for Diageo and Reckitt Benckiser.    

Kevin MacLellan said: “I’m excited that we’ve been able to appoint someone of Reemah’s calibre to be the new President of 5. She brings a wealth of experience in streaming, content, and commercial strategy, and I look forward to working closely with her to deliver the next phase of 5’s growth journey.”   

Sakaan said: “I’ve long admired 5’s exceptional understanding of its audience. It consistently punches above its weight and is loved by viewers, advertisers, and UK creatives as a place for authentic and resonant British storytelling. I can’t wait to work with Ben Frow, Kevin MacLellan, and all the team to continue accelerating 5’s streaming growth in the most exciting of new eras."   

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recently announced the board officers and regional governors who will serve two-year terms beginning this month. Discover more here.