The FierceVideo editorial team is proud to present its inaugural Emerging Leaders Awards, recognizing the brightest young professionals rising up the ranks of the streaming video and pay TV industry. Throughout the months of June and July we’ll be featuring these profiles with each of our finalists. We will announce the winners during our upcoming OTT Blitz Week of virtual panels happening during the last week in July.
Sean Doherty, Jr./Wurl:
Sean Doherty, Jr. is co-founder and SVP of operations at Wurl. He works with all stakeholders across the Wurl Network, and his responsibilities span the full end-to-end video delivery process including managing new launches for video producers and advising video services on how to onboard new channels and structure their services. Doherty is also involved in business development at Wurl, engaging with customers to determine and address their needs.
What his colleagues are saying:
“Sean truly embodies an emerging leader in media and technology. Not only does he help key customers with their business and service needs, but he also goes above and beyond to anticipate their future needs to ensure their continued success.” - Carl Schachter, chief revenue officer at Wurl
Streaming Industry Q&A:
What streaming services do you subscribe to?
Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video
What are your favorite shows you’re watching in 2020?
"Westworld," "Devs," "Bojack Horseman" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career so far has been participating in the incredible growth of this company that is part of a burgeoning industry. From signing new customers to expanding internationally, each moment and win has been very meaningful. They all seemed like unique milestones for various reasons so I can’t really select one in particular. But one recent achievement I am very proud of is that Wurl just crossed the 400-channel benchmark, launching more streaming channels than any other independent network. We’re now doubling the number of channels on the Wurl Network every two months – which is quite an achievement when our base number has grown so much – and we’re excited to see this number continue to increase as the industry grows.
What’s next for you in terms of new challenges in streaming TV?
For us, everything is a new challenge due to the nascent nature of this industry. The number of options that people have to consume content is continuing to expand exponentially, especially in ad-supported spaces. The number of players in the industry is growing as well, as more content owners are getting into the business of streaming. The market is hitting its stride, and I’m excited by the many opportunities to experiment with how we can package and distribute content. Especially in terms of new technologies; there is so much room to grow. We’re working with and optimizing localization, personalization, AI enhancements for scheduling, data usage and more. We’re in the wild west of video delivery, and I’m excited to be a part of the team that’s helping to steer the industry into its future.