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Brent Montgomery

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Brent Montgomery is CEO of ITV America, with oversight of ITV’s US portfolio, including ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Outpost Entertainment, Loud TV, Red Bandit, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment, DiGa and Gurney Productions.[1] ITV America produces more than 800 hours of content and 100 non-scripted programs per year, working in partnership with more than 40 networks.[2]

Career

Brent Montgomery began his television career working for Texas CBS affiliate KBTX, which subsequently paid for the majority of his tuition at Texas A&M.[3] He later moved to New York and landed positions on such series as The Bachelor, Wife Swap and Blind Date.[4] Montgomery started his first production company, Leftfield Pictures, in 2002 with $10,000.[5] Leftfield Pictures initially shot wedding videos while developing its entertainment content and clientele, and eventually sold its first series, The Principal’s Office, in 2008.[6]

Montgomery developed the concept for Leftfield Pictures’ flagship series Pawn Stars while in Las Vegas for a bachelor party.[7] Struck by the number of pawn shops in the city, Montgomery set out to locate a shop with the right setting and staff around which to build a television series.[8][9] Ultimately, Montgomery negotiated a deal with Gold & Silver Pawn Shop co-owner Rick Harrison, and pitched the show to the History Channel.[10] In 2009, Pawn Stars premiered on History as a top rated series for the network, highlighting the “hidden treasures” genre of programming.[11] Leveraging the success of the series, Montgomery grew Leftfield Pictures rapidly[12] with myriad series and hundreds of programming hours soon added to Leftfield's roster.[13] In addition to Pawn Stars, other Leftfield Pictures series and Montgomery credits include the award-winning Alone,[14] American Restoration and Counting Cars for History;[15] American Grit featuring host John Cena for Fox;[16] Cutting It: in the ATL for WE tv;[17] and National Geographic Channel’s 2015 specials Billy the Kid: The New Evidence (executive produced by Kevin Costner)[18] and Brain Surgery Live.[19]

In 2013 Montgomery established parent company Leftfield Entertainment (LFE), and assumed the role of CEO, in conjunction with acquiring production company Sirens Media (Real Housewives of New Jersey).[20] He then launched additional production companies under the LFE umbrella – Loud TV[21] and Outpost Entertainment[22] – before selling 80% of the company for $360 million to ITV in 2014.[23] At the end of 2015, Montgomery completed a deal through which ITV acquired all of the Leftfield Entertainment group; as part of that process, Montgomery became CEO of a newly formed production group now known as ITV America,[24] and now oversees production companies including: original Leftfield Entertainment companies Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Outpost Entertainment, Loud TV; plus ITV Entertainment (Hell’s Kitchen), Red Bandit, DiGa (Teen Wolf), Gurney Productions (Duck Dynasty), High Noon Entertainment (Cake Boss) and Thinkfactory Media.[25]

In December 2015, Montgomery announced Leftfield Entertainment’s overall deal with TV personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel,[26] joining other production deals with such talent as Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer,[27] WWE star John Cena,[28] Oscar-winner Kevin Costner,[29] Grammy award-winner Timbaland and author/actress La La Anthony.[30]

Personal life

Brent married Courtney Napurano in September 2008;[31] the couple and their two children are based in Connecticut.[32]

Honors & Affiliations

In June 2016, Montgomery was inducted into the Realscreen Hall of Fame as Producer Extraordinaire.[33]

In 2014 Montgomery became a founding member of the Non-Fiction Producers Association (NPA), the first professional body created to service the non-fiction TV business in the United States, and serves on its executive committee.[34]

Montgomery is a member of Lincoln Center Corporate Fund's newly launched Media and Entertainment Council,[35] and a member of the Paley Media Council.[36]

References

  1. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2015-12-03). "ITV Sets Management Team For U.S. Production Operation Led By Brent Montgomery". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  2. ^ "ITV confirms Montgomery as US chief". C21media. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  3. ^ "Broadcasting & Cable". www.broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  4. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2015-10-28). "'Pawn Stars' Creator Brent Montgomery To Lead ITV Studios U.S. Group". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  5. ^ "RSL '14: Leftfield's Montgomery recounts route to the top". Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  6. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2015-10-28). "'Pawn Stars' Creator Brent Montgomery To Lead ITV Studios U.S. Group". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  7. ^ "Brent Montgomery - San Antonio Magazine - January 2013 - San Antonio, TX". www.sanantoniomag.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  8. ^ "'Pawn Stars' creator eyeing S.A." San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  9. ^ "RSL '14: Leftfield's Montgomery recounts route to the top". Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  10. ^ "Banff World Media Festival: Pawn Stars creator Brent Montgomery says the key to great reality TV is the 'cast'". Calgary Herald. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  11. ^ Marechal, AJ (2012-10-17). "Leftfield Pictures expands to L.A." Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  12. ^ "Brent Montgomery - Reality TV: THR's 50 Most Powerful List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2015-12-03). "Brent Montgomery Named CEO of ITV America". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (2016-04-20). "'Alone' Survival Series Renewed For Season 3 By History". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  15. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2015-10-28). "'Pawn Stars' Creator Brent Montgomery To Lead ITV Studios U.S. Group". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  16. ^ Holloway, Daniel (2016-07-29). "John Cena's 'American Grit' Renewed for Season 2 by Fox". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  17. ^ Zumberge, Marianne (2015-03-03). "We TV Orders 'Cutting It' Salon Competition Series, Renews Two Others". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  18. ^ "Kevin Costner to Take On Billy the Kid Mystery for National Geographic (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  19. ^ "National Geographic to Air First Live Brain Surgery on TV (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  20. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2013-03-20). "Leftfield Pictures Acquires 'Real Housewives Of NJ' Producer Sirens Media". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  21. ^ "Nick Rigg Partners With Brent Montgomery for Loud TV | Broadcasting & Cable". www.broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  22. ^ "Leftfield, Jodi Flynn partner for Outpost Entertainment". Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  23. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2014-05-07). "ITV Studios Acquires 80% Of 'Pawn Stars' Producer Leftfield Entertainment For $360M". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2015-12-03). "Brent Montgomery Named CEO of ITV America". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  25. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2015-10-28). "'Pawn Stars' Creator Brent Montgomery To Lead ITV Studios U.S. Group". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  26. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (2015-12-01). "Bethenny Frankel Launches Production Company, Inks Deal with Leftfield Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  27. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (2016-06-01). "'Good Morning America's' Lara Spencer Inks Production Deal with Leftfield Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  28. ^ Calvario, Liz. "John Cena Inks Deal With Leftfield Entertainment To Create TV Content | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  29. ^ "Kevin Costner to Take On Billy the Kid Mystery for National Geographic (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  30. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (2016-01-27). "Timbaland & La La Anthony Developing Hip Hop Docuseries". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  31. ^ Cassuto, Christopher (2008-10-05). "NAPURANO, 28, AND MONTGOMERY, 33". New York Post. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  32. ^ "An 18-Room Georgian Manor on Stanwich Road Sells for $5.6 Million". Greenwich, CT Patch. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  33. ^ "Brent Montgomery to enter Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  34. ^ Robb, David (2016-10-06). "Nonfiction Producers Association Expands Membership & Exec Committee". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  35. ^ "Lincoln Center Corporate Fund Members". www.lccorporatefund.org. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  36. ^ "Page 3 | The Paley Center for Media". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 2016-10-08.