John D. Matta has been named the new Wizard World President and CEO.  Matta brings a wealth of pop culture experience from his tenures at Warner Brothers, Lorimer, and the CW Network.

Matta’s statement in the press release below reveals some of his vision for Wizard World, as he tells us that it will expand “into the area of content creation together with the launch of new distribution initiatives.”  Matta believes that “Wizard World stands squarely at the intersection of the audience, celebrities and cutting edge content. Wizard events are the sweet spot where the entertainment industry interacts one-on-one with its audience.”  With the emphasis on “content creation,” “new distribution initiatives,” and an “intersection of the audience, celebrities and cutting edge content,” as well as the simple fact that Wizard World appointed a high profile TV executive to be their CEO, it seems that Wizard World is about to embark on either creating a new content platform, or making something of the one that they already have (CONtv).  Nerd hobbyists of all stripes have been lamenting the demise of channel G4 for years, and one can only hope that a Wizard World channel will hit cable boxes to fill this void.

Official press release:

Wizard World, Inc. Appoints John D. Maatta

President and Chief Executive Officer

John-Maatta-333.jpgLOS ANGELES, April 26, 2016 – Wizard World, Inc. today announced the appointment of John D. Maatta as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Wizard World is the leading producer in North America of events and comic conventions that celebrate the very best of pop culture, celebrity, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology and live music.

“John brings Wizard World his solid entertainment industry experience and proven success in creating innovative content and distribution strategies. Wizard World is poised to expand its already significant footprint, and John will work with us to guide the company to its next phase of growth and beyond,” said Paul Kessler, Chairman of the Wizard World Board of Directors.

Maatta has enjoyed a particularly successful career as an entertainment executive, having served as the first employee of the WB Television Network, as well as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of both the WB and the CW Television Network—where he was the co-head of the network for more than six years. Maatta served in various capacities as an executive at Warner Bros and Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation for almost 28 years.

“Wizard World is the preeminent producer of pop culture multi-city tours that aggregates huge audiences of fans across the country. Wizard World comic conventions are high-energy events bringing entertainment fans the most sought-after and interesting celebrities and content from movies, television and music to technology and sports. Wizard World is on the verge of becoming an especially powerful force in the entertainment industry as it rapidly expands into the area of content creation together with the launch of new distribution initiatives. Wizard World stands squarely at the intersection of the audience, celebrities and cutting edge content. Wizard events are the sweet spot where the entertainment industry interacts one-on-one with its audience,” said Maatta.

Mr. Maatta currently serves as the President of UNICEF in Southern California, and as Chairman of the UNICEF Chinese Children’s Initiative.  Additionally, Mr. Maatta serves on the Board of Trader Vic’s Corporation, and is a member of the advisory Board of the Asia Society.

Mr. Maatta’s appointment will be effective as of May 3, 2016.

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