Sony Pictures Television’s Mike Wald Retires After 32 Years, and Sony Eyes YouTube
Mike Wald’s distribution team spent much of 2026 selling “S.W.A.T. Exiles” in every major region of the world. Now the Sony Pictures Television executive is preparing to leave the business he helped build.
Wald, Sony Pictures Television’s co-president of distribution and networks, will retire at the end of 2026 after 32 years with the studio. Keith Le Goy, chairman of Sony Pictures Television, shared the news Thursday in a memo to staff, according to Variety. Jason Spivak, who shared the co-president title with Wald, will jointly lead the division with Paul Littmann, previously executive vice president of global distribution. The two will hold the title of presidents of distribution and networks and report directly to Le Goy.
“Jason and Paul know our business, our content and our partners incredibly well and they bring the experience, ambition and judgment to continue driving the organization forward,” Le Goy said in the memo. “I am excited about what they will accomplish together.”
A spinoff that showed what the team could do
Wald’s final year included one of the division’s more unusual wins. Sony developed “S.W.A.T. Exiles” on spec, ordering 10 episodes without a network lined up. According to TheWrap, the project was a partnership between Sony Pictures Television Studios and the global distribution group co-led by Wald and Spivak.
That gamble paid off. Sony sold the Shemar Moore-led spinoff in Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa before landing a U.S. deal with Starz, Deadline reported in June. The series premiered Sept. 25 on Starz, with select international territories debuting the same day, and Starz renewed it for a second season ahead of its launch.
Who’s taking on what
The shake-up reaches beyond the top job. Mark Young, who already oversaw Europe, the Middle East and Africa, becomes executive vice president and head of international. He adds Latin America and Asia-Pacific to his portfolio and will report to Spivak and Littmann.
Closer to home, Monica Veiga, executive vice president of TV distribution for North America, will expand her role to cover the broader North America business. She’ll fill the gap left by Flory Bramnick, who announced weeks ago that she’ll step away later this year after 24 years with Sony.
Sony’s bet on YouTube
The restructuring also signals where Sony sees growth. The studio plans to hire a new executive to run its YouTube and digital platforms business, reporting to Spivak and Littmann. In his memo, Le Goy pointed to YouTube, FAST channels and other “performance-based models” as areas with room to grow.
Three decades, three continents
Wald’s career at Sony started in Asia, where he was part of the team that developed and launched the AXN channel in Asia and SET India. He later ran distribution for Europe, the Middle East and Africa from London before moving into global roles.
“I have had the distinct privilege of working closely with Mike and Flory for many years, and it is hard to overstate the impact they have had on our business and the people around them,” Le Goy wrote.
What’s next for Sony Pictures Television
Spivak and Littmann will lead the division once Wald steps away at year’s end. Sony hasn’t named a leader for its YouTube and digital platforms unit yet. Meanwhile, “S.W.A.T. Exiles” continues its first season with new episodes Fridays on Starz.
Reporting from Variety, Deadline and TheWrap contributed to this story.
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