Resume
Zach Mannon
Product and Data Executive — Streaming Media, CTV, AVOD, FAST, Digital Entertainment. Los Angeles, CA.
Zach Mannon
Product & Data Executive — Streaming Media, CTV, AVOD, FAST, Digital Entertainment
Summary
Product and data executive with 15+ years building and scaling digital entertainment platforms across streaming media, CTV, AVOD, FAST, consumer apps, and monetization systems. Currently leads product and data strategy for The CW Network’s digital platform at Nexstar Media Group — one of the largest free ad-supported streaming businesses in the U.S. Prior experience includes digital media product leadership at Warner Bros. Worldwide Television and product/creative innovation at Disney Parks & Resorts Online. Career spans the full entertainment lifecycle: production, distribution, streaming, audience growth, data, and monetization.
Experience
Head of Product & Data / Vice President of Product
2014 – Present
The CW Network / Nexstar Media Group — Los Angeles, CA
- Lead digital product strategy across consumer experience, platform architecture, monetization, analytics, personalization, and operational systems for a nationally scaled AVOD streaming platform
- Scaled streaming ecosystem to 120M+ app installs across CTV, mobile, and web platforms
- Drove $125M+ in ad revenue through integrated AVOD monetization, programmatic demand, and distribution partnerships
- Launched The CW’s first-ever live sports vertical in three weeks, from deal close to first live stream
- Built unified data and analytics strategy translating audience behavior into product, programming, and monetization decisions
- Advanced ML-driven personalization and recommendation systems to improve content discovery at scale
- Expanded audience reach through FAST syndication and cross-platform distribution partnerships
- Led cross-functional teams across product, engineering, data, design, editorial, ad sales, marketing, and operations
- Owned product KPIs including engagement, viewing time, retention, monetization, and platform growth
Digital Media Product Leadership
2007 – 2014
Warner Bros. Worldwide Television — Los Angeles, CA
- Built the original CW digital platform including CWTV and CW Seed, creating the foundational infrastructure for The CW’s streaming business
- Led consumer and internal platform development for content distribution, digital screeners, licensing workflows, and sales operations
- Owned B2B licensing and distribution systems for global content delivery and rights management
- Introduced Agile and SCRUM practices, modernizing product development processes across the digital media division
- Led early platform innovation partnerships with Facebook and Xbox
- Earned Emmy, Webby, and Communicator award recognition for platform and product work
Associate Creative Lead, Advanced Projects
2005 – 2007
Disney Parks & Resorts Online — Los Angeles, CA
- Led product and creative development for Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK), growing the platform from 1M to 2.8M users
- Designed interactive experiences integrating digital gameplay with physical theme park environments
- Authored patents for digital/physical integration concepts
- Led creative technology concepts for advanced interactive engagement systems within Disney’s Parks & Resorts digital innovation group
Film & Television Production
Early Career
Various Productions — Los Angeles, CA
- Production work on the hit TV series 24, Zack Snyder’s 300, and Martin Scorsese’s Silence
- Built foundational understanding of the entertainment production pipeline from set through post-production and distribution
Areas of Expertise
Product & Platform
- Streaming product strategy
- CTV app strategy
- Consumer apps (mobile, web)
- Platform architecture
- Product operations
- Agile / SCRUM
Monetization & Growth
- AVOD monetization
- FAST strategy & syndication
- Programmatic advertising
- Distribution partnerships
- Audience growth & retention
- Viewer engagement
Data & Technology
- Data & analytics strategy
- ML personalization
- Recommendation systems
- Content discovery
- Ad tech integration
- Entertainment technology
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz
B.A. — Anthropology; Marketing & Consumer Behavior
Recognition
- Emmy Award recognition for digital platform work at Warner Bros. Television
- Webby Award recognition for digital platform work at Warner Bros. Television
- Communicator Award recognition for digital platform work at Warner Bros. Television
- Patent holder — digital/physical integration concepts (Disney Parks & Resorts Online)
Public Profiles