Raffaele Annecchino, Former President and CEO of Paramount International, Dies at 55
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Raffaele Annecchino, the former President and CEO of Paramount International, has died of acute meningitis at the age of 55, prompting tributes from across the media industry. Over more than 25 years at Paramount/ViacomCBS he rose from an early sales role in Madrid to lead the company's international operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia, playing a central part in its shift from broadcasting to streaming. Former Paramount president and CEO Bob Bakish called him "a force of nature. Taken way too young," while Alex Okosi, former managing director of Paramount Africa and now managing director of Google Africa, described him as "a deeply valued colleague and a dear friend" who combined sharp commercial instinct with genuine warmth and generosity.
Annecchino drove the international rollout of Paramount+, supported the global expansion of Pluto TV and helped create SkyShowtime, the streaming venture launched with Comcast, while building partnerships with firms including Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice, Viaplay, Corus, J:COM, Claro and Mediapro. His remit spanned major networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Channel 5 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, Telefe in Argentina and Chilevisión in Chile, and he backed production hubs across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. After leaving Paramount in 2022, he founded Blue Ocean Media Partners, a consultancy focused on media innovation and transformation.
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In short
- Ex-Paramount International CEO Raffaele Annecchino dies aged 55 of acute meningitis
- Led firm's international streaming push, including Paramount+ and SkyShowtime
- Colleagues, including Bob Bakish, pay tribute to his impact and character
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Colleagues have paid tribute to Raffaele Annecchino, the former President and CEO of Paramount International, who has died of acute meningitis at the age of 55. Former Paramount president and CEO Bob Bakish described him as "a force of nature.
- 2 months ago Raffaele Annecchino, the former President and CEO of Paramount International, has died of acute meningitis at the age of 55, prompting tributes from across the media industry.
- 2 months ago Raffaele Annecchino, the former President and CEO of Paramount International, has died of acute meningitis at the age of 55.
Full account
Raffaele Annecchino, the Italian-born media executive who led Paramount's international operations for more than two decades, has died at the age of 55. Reports indicate he passed away from meningitis after falling ill while on holiday in Spain's Balearic Islands, with one outlet specifying the cause as acute meningitis. His death was confirmed by his press office.
Annecchino joined the company that would become Paramount and Viacom/CBS in the late 1990s, beginning in a commercial capacity in Madrid before rising to oversee operations spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. He was appointed president and chief executive of ViacomCBS Networks International in December 2020, a role that placed him at the helm of the group's push from conventional broadcasting into digital and streaming services. He steered the international launch of Paramount+, backed the worldwide growth of the free ad-supported service Pluto TV, and was a driving force behind SkyShowtime, the streaming joint venture struck with Comcast. He was also credited with cultivating partnerships with major industry players including Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice, Viaplay, Corus, J:COM, Claro and Mediapro.
During his tenure, Annecchino was closely associated with the expansion of channels including MTV, Nickelodeon and BET, as well as regional broadcasters such as Channel 5 in Britain, Network 10 in Australia, Telefe in Argentina and Chilevisión in Chile, and he supported the build-out of production hubs across several continents. Tributes highlighted both his commercial acumen and his personal warmth. Bob Bakish, Paramount's former president and chief executive, wrote on social media that his one-time colleague was 'a force of nature' who had been 'taken way too young'. Alex Okosi, who worked with Annecchino as managing director of Paramount Africa and is now managing director of Google Africa, praised his ability to pair sharp strategic instinct with generosity and optimism, saying he had built lasting trust and inspired colleagues to think bigger.
Annecchino left Paramount in 2022 and went on to found Blue Ocean Media Partners, a consultancy focused on innovation and strategic transformation in media, serving as its managing partner and chief executive. Additional biographical detail, provided by one outlet, notes he was born in 1971 in Ivrea, Italy, held an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, and had completed executive programmes at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. He also sat on the boards of Viacom18 in India, SBS Media in South Korea and SkyShowtime.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
One source specifies the cause of death as 'acute meningitis' and states he fell ill while on holiday in the Balearic Islands, details the other source omits.
Only one source gives precise biographical facts: his birth year and birthplace (1971, Ivrea, Italy), his MBA from IE Business School, executive education at Harvard and INSEAD, and his board memberships at Viacom18, SBS Media and SkyShowtime.
The sources differ slightly on the timing of Blue Ocean Media Partners' founding — one implies it followed directly from his 2022 exit, while the other states it was founded in 2023.
One source dates the creation of SkyShowtime to 2022 and notes his December 2020 appointment as president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International; the other does not include these specifics.
Explained simply
Raffaele Annecchino spent more than 25 years at Paramount and its predecessor company ViacomCBS, starting out in a sales role in Madrid before rising to become President and CEO of Paramount International. In that senior role he was responsible for the company's operations outside the United States, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia, and he worked closely with major broadcast and streaming partners across those regions.
During his career he was closely involved in some of Paramount's biggest international ventures, including the rollout of the Paramount+ streaming service, the growth of the free ad-supported channel Pluto TV, and the creation of SkyShowtime, a joint streaming venture with Comcast. He also had oversight of well-known television networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon and BET, along with channels in individual markets including the UK, Australia, Argentina and Chile. He left Paramount in 2022 and went on to set up his own media consultancy, Blue Ocean Media Partners.
Annecchino was a well-known and respected figure within the international media and entertainment industry, having worked with senior executives at companies including Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice, Viaplay and Corus. His death at the age of 55 has prompted tributes from former colleagues, reflecting his long-standing influence on how major entertainment brands were distributed and run outside the US market.
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