Eli Holtzman and Aaron Seidman are leaving Sony Pictures TV’s nonfiction division after four years running it. In a memo to staff, Sony Pictures TV chairman Keith Le Goy confirmed that Holzman, who was president of nonfiction, and Seidman, who was co-president of nonfiction, were leaving the company “to pursue their next entrepreneurial endeavors.”
With the departure of Mr. Holtzman and Mr. Seidman, Sony Pictures TV Studios president Katherine Pope will expand her oversight of the company’s nonfiction division in addition to scripted and children’s programming.
Mr. Holtzman and Mr. Seidman joined Sony in 2022 as part of the company’s $350 million acquisition of Industrial Media, which includes 19 Entertainment, B17 Entertainment, House of Nonfiction, Sharp Entertainment, Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), This Machine Filmworks, This Radical Act, and Trilogy Films.
Mr. Holzman previously served as CEO of Industrial Media and founder and CEO of IPC, while Mr. Seidman, Mr. Holzman’s longtime producing partner, served as president of Industrial Media and co-founder and president of IPC. The two were brought in to oversee the day-to-day operations of Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction.
Pope joined Sony Pictures Television in August 2022 and has directed such hits as The Boys, The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, Outlander and the prequels Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Doc and The Night Agent. Next will be God of War, Spider Noir, American Hostage, and SWAT: Exiles.
Below is Mr. Le Goy’s memo to staff.
Dear everyone,
I am writing to share important updates regarding Sony Pictures’ television nonfiction business.
Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman plan to transition from their roles at SPT to pursue their next entrepreneurial ventures. Over the past four years, Eli and Aaron have played a key role in shaping and expanding our nonfiction portfolio. Their leadership has elevated our division and strengthened our foundation during a time of great industry change. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to continuing to work together.
Moving forward, Katherine Pope will expand her role as president of Sony Pictures Television Studios to include leadership of the scripted and kids businesses, as well as oversight of the SPT nonfiction division. Catherine has built an incredible track record of bringing premium content to market and building lasting partnerships with top talent, consistently positioning the studio at the forefront of the industry. Under her leadership, integrating nonfiction will further align our creative operations, accelerate collaboration across teams, and unlock greater long-term value across our portfolio.
SPT Nonfiction has a strong portfolio that includes companies such as Sharp Entertainment, Embassy Row, B17 Entertainment, 19 Entertainment, This Machine, Maxine Productions, Brass Monkeys Media, and Rebel Minds Media, as well as productions such as “American Idol,” “Shark Tank,” the “90 Day Fiancé” series, “Watch What Happens Live,” “Extracted,” “On Our business continues to be dynamic and growing, with amazing series such as ‘Brand’. Jimmy Fallon,” “Quiet on Set,” “Martha,” and the upcoming unscripted film adaptation “Clue.” With Catherine’s leadership and the strength of our creative team, we are well-positioned to build on this momentum and continue to grow our nonfiction business.
Thank you for your continued commitment as we move into our next chapter together.
keith
