Blink49 Studios has hired former Fifth Season exec Yogita Puri as executive vp, head of business & legal affairs.
Puri will help build out the global business at Blink49 Studios, the Toronto-based banner led by CEO John Morayniss. She joins the indie studio from Fifth Season, the indie film and TV studio behind His & Hers and Severance.
At Fifth Season, Puri served as senior vp and associate general counsel, overseeing international TV production and distribution. Fifth Season is also a strategic investor in Blink49.
“Yogita brings an exceptional combination of business expertise, strategic insight and industry relationships that will be invaluable as we continue to grow the business. Her experience across global markets and collaborative approach make her a natural fit for Blink49,” Morayniss said in a statement.
Morayniss, Patrice Theroux, Jeff Lynas and Nelson Kuo-Lee — all veteran executives from Entertainment One — launched Blink49 as a Canadian-based indie banner in fall 2021 to develop and produce both scripted and unscripted content. Producing content for world export on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, Blink49 has additional offices in Los Angeles, Vancouver and New York.
The company’s scripted TV credits include The Rookie and Designated Survivor, Sharp Objects and Rookie Blue. Blink49 also produces the reality series Blue Collar and the Yaga scripted series.
Puri will look to expand the indie banner’s global slate and production footprint as Blink49 navigates the end of the peak TV era. “Blink49 has built a strong foundation rooted in creative partnerships and a clear strategic vision. I’m excited to collaborate across the business to enable dealmaking that is both innovative and responsive to the changing media landscape,” Puri said in her own statement.
Before her executive stint at Fifth Season, formerly Endeavor Content, Puri served as head of commercial and business affairs at The Ink Factory, structuring and negotiating content financing and distribution deals across a range of media platforms.
