JustWatch is framing this as a major win β landing someone with Sheridan's studio-side pedigree means they can now offer U.S. studios and agencies access to first-party data and campaign tech that's unmatched in the market.
Searchlight Pictures just lost its Director of Performance Media to a Berlin-based streaming guide company. Insiders say the move signals how aggressively JustWatch is building out its B2B media division on this side of the Atlantic, and some are whispering about what that means for traditional studio advertising teams.
Sheridan spent over 15 years in media before his most recent role as Director of Performance Media at Searchlight Pictures. JustWatch Media has run more than 20,000 campaigns worldwide across YouTube, Meta, TikTok and other platforms, serving over 50 million monthly users.
This is a significant talent grab for JustWatch β Sheridan brings the studio perspective that could unlock serious new business with U.S. studios and agencies. For Searchlight? Losing someone who understands both performance media AND merchandising to a competitor hungry for market share isn't a great look.
Terence Sheridan, the man who helped drive performance media strategy for some of Searchlight Pictures' biggest theatrical releases, has defected to JustWatch. The former Director of Performance Media and Merchandising at the Disney-owned prestige studio is now Senior VP of Media Strategy at the Berlin-headquartered streaming guide company, Variety reported exclusively on Tuesday. Sheridan's move comes with serious credentials attached.
With more than 15 years in media, digital advertising, and film release strategy under his belt, he's held key roles at OMG23 β Disney's internal media agency where he served as VP of Digital Performance β and previously worked as Group Director of Digital Media at Operam before landing at Searchlight Pictures. His industry relationships run deep on both the studio and agency sides, which is exactly what JustWatch needs as it pushes to expand its B2B operations in North America.
John W. Gibbons, JustWatch's President for North America, made it clear this wasn't a lateral move. "Terry has spent his career at the heart of entertainment media," Gibbons said in a statement.
"At the studio and agency level, he understands exactly what it takes to drive results for major film releases. His combination of studio insight and performance media expertise makes him the ideal person to lead media strategy from our L.A. office." The company is clearly betting that Sheridan's client-side experience will give JustWatch Media credibility it hasn't fully cracked with U.S. studios yet. JustWatch Media has already built an impressive resume β more than 20,000 campaigns run for movie and TV releases across YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and other major platforms β but the company has been aggressively targeting American studio partnerships.
The platform serves over 50 million monthly users through its consumer app, giving it first-party data that studios crave in a post-third-party-cookie world. Sheridan himself acknowledged working with JustWatch "from the client side" during his Searchlight tenure, calling their reach and performance capabilities something he wants to bring to more U.S. agencies. Sheridan's official comments frame this as an exciting opportunity rather than a power move, but industry observers aren't missing the subtext. A senior performer jumping ship from one of Hollywood's most prestigious studios to a European streaming data company signals where the balance of power in media strategy might be shifting β toward platforms that can promise precise audience targeting and measurable campaign performance at scale.
