FREDDY JAMES

Senior Vice President & Head of Branded Entertainment, US Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery

347-306-7843  |  freddy@freddyjames.com |  www.freddyjames.com | LinkedIn 

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PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Senior media executive with extensive experience leading branded entertainment strategies, partnership integrations, and content development and production across major U.S. television and digital platforms.

BIOGRAPHY

Freddy James is Senior Vice President and Head of Branded Entertainment for the U.S. Networks at Warner Bros. Discovery.

He leads the development and production of advertiser-aligned content across the company’s premier network brands, including HGTV, Food Network, TNT, TBS, Discovery, TLC, ID, OWN, and others.

Each year, his team produces thousands of creative concepts that seamlessly connect advertising partners with these brands through in-show integrations, custom short-form content, and talent endorsements.

Some of the biggest IP in his arsenal include Discovery’s Shark Week, Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, and the HGTV Dream Home—HGTV’s flagship annual home giveaway and one of the most successful consumer promotions and sponsor platforms in television history.   He also oversees the site selection, design and construction of the HGTV Dream Home.

Additionally, James has aligned sponsors with some of the most powerful IP from HBO Max, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, and Warner Bros. Television Studios, including the Barbie film, The Bachelor franchise, The White Lotus, and Harry Potter, all through custom activations within the WBD U.S. Networks portfolio.

James joined HGTV in 1997 as a producer and has since held several senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Programming at DIY Network and Senior Vice President of Program Development and Production for HGTV. He is based in New York City.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - CURRENT

Warner Bros. Discovery – New York, NY

SVP & Head of Branded Entertainment, US Networks

Apr 2022 – Present

  • Lead branded entertainment strategy across the U.S. Networks portfolio, including HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TLC, TNT, TBS, OWN, Animal Planet, and ID.

  • Drive creative alignment between advertising partners, network programming, and audience insights.

  • Develop innovative brand storytelling and integration opportunities.

  • Develop sales opportunities connecting our brands and IP from our sister WBD properties with ad sales clients.  

  • Highlights include:

    • The Bachelor (WBTV) + Bachelor Mansion Takeover (HGTV) for Wayfair, Jeep, Sherwin Williams, and Homes.com

    • The White Lotus (HBO Max) + The Kitchen (Food Network) for Diageo

    • Barbie (Warner Bros. Studios) + Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge (HGTV) for Chevy and Wayfair. 

    • Harry Potter (WB) + Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Food Network) for Wayfair.

BRAND HIGHLIGHTS

Created co-branded content for these top 100 brands and more in 2024-2025.

Acura | ADT | Allstate | Amazon | Anheuser-Busch | Apartments.com | Apple | AT&T | Bayer | Best Western | Bissell | Boar's Head | Bosch | Burger King | Campbell's | Capital One | Carnival Cruise Line | Chipotle | Clorox | Dairy Queen | Diageo | Dish Network | Disney Cruise Line | Disney Studios | Disney Theme Parks | Dominos | EA Sports | eBay | Etsy | Farmer's Dog | Focus Features | Geico | General Motors | Ghirardelli | Hellmann's | Henkel | Hershey | Hilton | The Home Depot | Honda | IHOP | IKEA| Jardiance | Kia | Kohler | Kohl's | Liberty Mutual | L'Oreal | Lowe's | Macy's | Marriott | Mars | Maytag | Mercedes | Meta | MGM | Michelin | Miller Lite | Moen | Molson Coors | NBCU | Nestle | Paramount Pictures | PayPal | Peloton | PepsiCo | Perdue | Pilot Pens | PNC Bank | Popeyes | Priceline | Progressive | Raising Cane's | Realtor.com | Ring | Safelite | SC Johnson | Shark Ninja | Sherwin Williams | SimpliSafe | Sleep Number | Sony Pictures | Sport Clips | State Farm | Subaru | Target | Tempur Sealy | Toyota | Turbo Tax | Uber | Universal Orlando | Universal Pictures | Vanguard | Verizon | Walmart | Wayfair | Warner Bros. Studios | Wells Fargo | Whole Foods | Zillow

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - PAST

Discovery Inc – New York, NY

SVP, Integrated Programming, US Networks

Mar 2018 – Mar 2022

  • Directed branded entertainment and sponsor integrations for HGTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel.

  • Oversaw development of integrated content for sponsors to drive revenue.

Scripps Networks – New York, NY and Knoxville, TN

SVP, Network Integrated Programming

Oct 2015 – Feb 2018

  • Founded and led the Branded Entertainment team to leverage programming, talent, and digital extensions for integrated client solutions.

  • Produced 200+ product-integrated episodes and 250+ co-branded short-form projects each year, contributing to HGTV reaching $1B in annual ad sales revenue.

SVP, Program Development and Production, HGTV

Oct 2008 – Sept 2015

  • Supervised development and production of all series and specials; identified new programming opportunities.

  • Managed 750 original hours annually and a $300M production budget.

  • Developed series including Selling New York, Selling Spelling Manor, Love It or List It,$250,000 Challenge, Real Estate Intervention and House Hunters Renovation.

VP, Site Director, HGTV.com

Jan 2008 – Sept 2008

  • Led daily operations and strategic direction of HGTV.com, including major redesign initiatives.

  • Expanded Rate My Space, a user-generated content platform where users upload images of their designed rooms so they can be rated by fellow fans.

VP, Programming, DIY Network

2005 – 2007

  • Managed 400+ hours of original programming, scheduling, budgeting, and operations.

  • Oversaw series including Blog Cabin, Stud Finder, Desperate Landscapes, and Renovation Realities.

  • Introduced high-profile talent to the network, including Jay Leno, Michael Strahan, and Tony Siragusa.

Director of Programming, DIY Network

2003 – 2005

  • Oversaw development and production for key network series.

Producer, Scripps Productions

1997 – 2002

  • Produced hundreds of programming hours for HGTV, including The White House Christmas, Tournament of Roses Parade (LIVE), HGTV Dream Home, and Hidden Gardens of New York.

WBIR-TV – Channel 10 – Knoxville, TN – 1995-1996

Producer

1995 – 1996

  • Produced various newscasts and lifestyle programs.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree, Communications/Broadcasting, Cum Laude

  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • 1992 – 1996

HONORS & PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENTS

  • Multichannel News “40 Under 40” honoree – 2010

  • Graduate of the E.W. Scripps Leadership Institute

  • Guest speaker at events and seminars, including Realscreen, America Marketing Association, WICT, SCAD Savannah Film Festival, aTV Fest, #TVnext, Worthshop, and more.