Matthew C. Blank
Years in Cable: 38
Education: University of PA’s Wharton School of Business; MBA, Baruch College.
Best Advice: Never give advice.
With Blank steering the ship, Showtime continues to grow new premium subscribers—a million each year for six of the past seven years—in a world where subs are increasingly hard to come by. And he continues to create new opportunities for the brand, such as solidifying the network as the go-to destination for boxing. It’s clearly working: Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Canelo Alvarez last September was the highest-grossing PPV event of all time. Blank also had big plans for multiplatform and TV Everywhere, and the results are in: The network’s authentication service Showtime Anytime expanded its reach to 80% of its subs, with a goal of reaching 100% penetration in 2014.
I watch the majority of programming on this device: TV
TV show I’d most like to have a cameo in: “Masters of Sex”
John, Paul, George or Ringo? George
Cable exec I’d most like to see twerking: Brian Roberts
Cable exec I’d least like to see twerking: Brian Roberts
I wish Congress would just… get along…
Frank Underwood or Nick Brody? Nick Brody
The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is: Internet speed
Oscars or Grammys? Oscars
Favorite Restaurant: Maialino Restaurant
Favorite vacation spot: Italy
Alec Baldwin… NY or LA? New York
Desert island album: Any Rolling Stones
Favorite TV show as a kid: “Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
The last time I had a good laugh: Last time I filled out this survey.
Dish I can make and that would impress a celebrity chef: Take out
My favorite business/motivational book: The Tipping Point
If someone forced me to cut the cord and only watch 3 over-the-top shows, they would be: “Homeland,” “Ray Donovan” and “The Big Bang Theory”
