Starz-backed SVOD service Fandor names chief distribution officer

Starz-backed indie film service Fandor has named a chief distribution officer, and closed a deals with Amazon and a new online video platform in the US.

Felice Oper, who joined the company in 2015, is expanding her role to lead distribution. She is a former HBO and Viacom exec.

“At HBO and Viacom in the nineties, I worked with a remarkable cadre of respected TMT executives affectionately referred to as ‘recovering lawyers’, one of which was Felice Oper,” said Larry Aidem, president and CEO of Fandor.

“Then and now, she is deal-oriented, indefatigable, and emotionally intelligent while possessing a true understanding of the meaning of partnership. Having said that, Felice is not completely recovered. Like many of Fandor’s senior staffers, she’s an inveterate multi-tasker and will continue as general counsel, overseeing legal and business affairs.”

Oper will oversee all distribution partnerships, moving Fandor’s 7,000-plus films such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to new platforms, which now include Amazon Channels and the upcoming LeEco.

The first deal sees Fandor made available to Amazon Prime subscribers via the Amazon Channels platform, which is part of the Amazon Prime Video service and available via an app, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick and Fire tablets.

The second will see Fandor, which in November 2015 welcomed US premium cabler Starz as a shareholder, becoming a global partner of LeEco, the Chinese technology company currently attempting to muscle in on the online video scene in the US.

Fandor will be preloaded on LeEco-branded TV and mobiles when they launch in the US in October. Buyers will get a one-year subscription to Fandor upon purchase of the hardware.

LeEco, which has 53 million online daily visitors in China, is expected to launch with a library of more than 100,000 TV episodes and 5,000 films. American firm Mondo was among the latest to sign up with the platform, debuting shows such as Happy Tree Families and Deep Space.