Philo has hired seasoned media and entertainment industry executive Steven Chang to serve as the company’s new Head of Integrated Product Marketing.
Chang joins Philo after serving in a similar role for SmartMedia Technologies, which works with clients and partners like Visa, Accenture, Vodafine and Unilever. He brings to Philo an impressive resume, having worked in various business development, product and marketing roles for companies like Bleacher Report (now part of Warner Bros Discovery) and Yahoo, and in entertainment-focused positions for Roku, Amazon Studios, Paramount Global’s Nickelodeon and the Walt Disney Company’s ABC.
From 2014 to 2016, he worked at Playtika, which developed and distributed the successful gaming app Bingo Blitz. During his time there, subscription memberships grew by 30 percent, and revenue from memberships accounted for the biggest percentage of gaming revenue ever.
Philo is counting on Chang to bring a similar measure of success to the company, which operates a cable-like streaming TV platform that offers around 70 premium cable networks and over 100 free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels.
“We’re excited to welcome Steven Chang as Philo’s Head of Integrative Marketing. Steven brings a wealth of experience from his time in mobile gaming and online advertising, with a strong background in customer insights, strategic positioning, and product-led growth,” Nil Addy, the Chief Marketing Officer at Philo, said in a statement emailed to The Desk on Monday. “He’ll be leading our product marketing and go-to-market strategy, and serving as the key marketing partner to our product team. Steven’s expertise will help ensure we’re engaging customers and innovating our offering—both outside and within the product—in ways that enhance their experience and clearly communicate our value.”
As the lines blur between linear cable and streaming offerings, Philo is increasingly focused on building out its advertising business, with spots run against content on cable networks, FAST channels and on-demand video. Philo earned $450 million in revenue off 1.3 million streaming subscribers last year, and the company is hoping to achieve full profitability by the end of the year.
Chang is the latest executive to be hired by Philo as the company charts its path toward profitability. In January, Edward King joined as Philo’s Chief Product Officer; he previously served as the Vice President of Product at Fox-owned ad-supported streaming service Tubi.
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Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday afternoon to offer clarity on the number of premium cable networks and free streaming channels offer on Philo. Additionally, a Philo spokesperson clarified that the company aims for full profitability by the end of 2025, not by 2026.
