AMC Networks Entertainment Group President Sarah Barnett will be stepping down from her position after Labor Day. Following her departure, the company’s Entertainment Networks, which includes AMC, BBC America, IFC and Sundance TV, and AMC Studios will report to AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll on an interim basis.
Barnett’s departure comes at a challenging time for linear television and especially ad-supported basic cable whose prospects were further hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, which cut ad spending. Her exit also comes at a high for her division. The announcement follows Tuesday’s Emmy nominations, where AMC Networks scored two of the eight best drama series Emmy noms with AMC’s Better Call Saul and BBC America/AMC’s Killing Eve, the only non-premium/streaming series to make the cut in the top drama category this year.
