Free Turn Entertainment Names Streaming Pioneer Ron Downey As Chairman
Free Turn Entertainment, has announced the appointment of Ron Downey, formerly the Co-founder of Massive Interactive as Chairman. Ron’s appointment follows a successful round of investment for Free Turn allowing the company to significantly scale their development plans for premium IP across film, television and audio. Ron will bring decades of experience in fundraising, entertainment technologies and distribution to the team as well as a long track record of growing innovative businesses around the world.
Following an early career in the US as a musician, Ron co-founded Massive, one of the world's first digital development agencies, with two partners in Sydney Australia in 1995. Over the next 23 years the company produced digital creative products, created content and software technology for hundreds of the world's top consumer entertainment brands and sport federations, growing into a global business with offices in six countries. Customers included AT&T, DAZN, WWE and BBC Worldwide, Bell Media, Sony Pictures Television and Channels 4, 5 and ITV in the UK.
In 2018 Ron sold Massive to Deltatre, the world's leading provider of video streaming products and services to the sport and entertainment industries.
Ron Downey “I’m here to help build a powerhouse of creativity with the Free Turn team and to create some beautiful work along the way. Free Turn is a premium IP and content-rich business with the capability and leadership to translate this across formats. So when this opportunity came about, I jumped at it. The team is a brilliant mix of experienced leaders and innovative thinkers who all truly love what they do. The development and production roster for 2023 is rich and diverse in both theme and format, and I'm confident that we have some great stories in the making”
Jon Hamm, CEO of Free Turn “Ron has a rebellious spirit that works perfectly for the culture at Free Turn, he supports us in taking risks, challenging financial models and pushing new creative ideas. He has come into the company with a single minded belief in developing and owning IP and maximising the commercial potential of it across as many platforms as possible. With Ron’s support we have solidified our plans for IP development and have put in place an exciting strategy for the next 18 months”
Set up in 2020 by BAFTA winning director Nick Hamm, his executive producer brother Jon Hamm and ex WPP alumni Gemma Batterby and specialising in sonic drama, feature films and international television series, Free Turn has uniquely positioned itself to develop and produce cross platform entertainment maximising on the creative and commercial potential of all their projects.
Free Turn is regarded as an industry leader in this cross platform approach with projects underway the likes of Audible, Amazon and ITV Studios in the UK and US.
Free Turn achieved success in 2022 with “Gigi and Nate” starring Oscar Winner Marcia Gay Harden. The quality of Free Turns work has also attracted industry leading talent such as Story Lab’s Robbie Ashcroft and Emma Lamont who have recently joined the team as managing partner and head of scripted developm
