Lionsgate promotes Rathauser in marketing
Executive key to Marvel DVD premiere titles' success
By Danny King -- Video Business, 11/19/2008
NOV. 19 | Lionsgate said today that it promoted Michael Rathauser to senior VP of marketing for the independent studio’s home entertainment division as part of its continued effort to boost DVD sales amid falling home entertainment sales in the U.S.
Rathauser
The former Artisan Entertainment executive will report to Lionsgate executive VP of marketing Anne Parducci, Lionsgate said in a statement today. Rathauser was key to the successful releases of direct-to-DVD titles from Lionsgate’s partnership with Marvel Entertainment, the company said.
Rathauser, who has helped Lionsgate double its market share of U.S. children’s DVDs in the past few years, will be charged with further boosting Lionsgate’s DVD sales.
Earlier this month, the company said its fiscal second-quarter home entertainment revenue jumped 32%, from a combination of theatrical titles such as The Bank Job and this year’s distribution agreements with children’s content companies Marvel and Hit Entertainment.
With more family DVD sales, Lionsgate has defied the drop in consumer spending on DVDs this year. Home entertainment spending through Sept. 30 fell 2.4% to $14.25 billion, according to data compiled by Video Business and Rentrak.
Rathauser was a brand manager at Artisan Entertainment when that company was acquired by Lionsgate in 2004 and helped lead the launch of the Baby Einstein brand.
