MS NOW Taps Brian Swarth as Senior Vice President of Marketing

Brian Swarth, a veteran of promoting series such as Showtime’s “Billions,” Audacy’s “Fly on the Wall with David Spade and Dana Carvey” and AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire,” will join MS NOW as its senior vice president of marketing, at a time when the news outlet will be working to lure its viewers to join a new “community” service that will offer content and interaction for a subscription.

Swarth will join the Versant Media property on July 20, and report to Rebecca Kutler, president of its operations. He will work closely with Maritza Berta, MS NOW’s vice president of marketing.

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“Brian joins us at a critical time for the network as we prepare for our inaugural direct-to-consumer product launch in the coming months and continue to see significant momentum across the organization,” Kutler said in a memo to staffers issued Thursday. “His experience in growing brands, launching direct-to-consumer businesses, and navigating periods of transformation will help us build on our successes as we continue to write the next chapter for MS NOW.”

Swarth will oversee audience growth strategies, consumer engagement, and brand marketing across MS NOW’s portfolio, including linear television, digital platforms, direct-to-consumer products, live events, and more. He joins the company following a four-year stint at AMC Networks, where he served as vice president of product strategy and business operations. Previously, he spent eight years at Showtime as the senior vice president of digital media and marketing, where he helped the company move into the direct-to-consumer streaming business.

He previously served as head of marketing for Audacy’s podcast division, where he worked to spur audience growth across Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Warner Bros. and MTV Networks.

“I’m grateful to join MS NOW at this critical moment when the brand is growing across every platform and reaching more people than ever,” Swarth said in a statement. “It’s an exciting time to be part of the team, as we prepare to launch our first-ever direct-to-consumer service which will give our audience new ways to connect with MS NOW and each other.”