# Raffaele Annecchino, Former President and CEO of Paramount International, Dies at 55

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/raffaele-annecchino-former-president-and-ceo-of-paramount-international-dies-at-55/
- Published: 2026-09-04T06:37:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-04T12:43:56+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/raffaele-annecchino-dead-president-ceo-paramount-1236850761/
- Topics: Africa, Americas, Asia, Business, Companies, Europe, Government, Middle East, Politics, World

## Key points

- 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

## Summary

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.

## Coverage

- [Variety: Raffaele Annecchino, Former President and CEO of Paramount International, Dies at 55](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/raffaele-annecchino-dead-president-ceo-paramount-1236850761/)
- [The Hollywood Reporter: Raffaele Annecchino, Former CEO of Paramount International, Dies at 55](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/raffaele-annecchino-dead-paramount-international-1236690130/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.