Fremantle Appoints Ben Crompton as Global Head of Entertainment

Mar 5, 2026 3:01am PT Fremantle Taps NBCUniversal’s International Unscripted Boss Ben Crompton as Global Head of Entertainment By Alex Ritman Plus Icon Alex Ritman @alexritman Latest India Mullen Taps Irish Talent, Including ‘Normal People’ and ‘The Quiet Girl’ Creatives, for Debut Short ‘Lia & Ro’ (EXCLUSIVE) 1 hour ago Cyber Heist Thriller ‘LifeHack’ From Timur Bekmambetov and Michael Fassbender Getting Theatrical Release in U.S. (EXCLUSIVE) 20 hours ago Josh Finan Joins Sydney Sweeney and Leo Woodall in ‘Custom of the Country’ From Studiocanal and Rabbit’s Foot Films (EXCLUSIVE) 20 hours ago See All Fremantle Fremantle has appointed Ben Crompton as its new global head of entertainment. The Brit will take up the senior leadership role later this month and will report directly to global CEO Jennifer Mullin. Compton will succeed Andrew Llinares, who is stepping down from his role. A seasoned format vet, Crompton joins from NBCUniversal, where he served as vice president, international unscripted and led the development of formats, IP and third-party projects, working with international producers and talent. Related Stories Padma Lakshmi on Building Her Own Cooking Competition After Being 'Burnt Out' by 'Top Chef': 'I Didn't Want to Go Back to Just Being Talent' Variety to Host Next Generation Entertainment Podcast Brunch Presented by Google TV at SXSW Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2023, Crompton launched and led Lime Pictures’ U.S. operation. As executive vice president U.S., he delivered shows including Netflix’s “Dance Monsters,” MTV’s “True Love or True Lies”, E!’s “Dating No Filter” and ABC’s “Who Do You Believe?” He has also held senior creative and strategic roles at Warner Brothers in Australia], and Eyeworks and ITV Studios in the U.K. Popular on Variety “We are thrilled to welcome Ben to Fremantle,” said Mullin. “He is a business minded leader with a deep understanding of the industry, not only from a development and production perspective, but also from a commercial and strategic viewpoint. I look forward to working closely with Ben and our hugely talented team at this extremely exciting time for our business – as we build on our successes and continuing to push the creative boundaries together.” Added CromptonL “It is a great honour for me to be joining Fremantle and to work with Jennifer and such a brilliant team. I have long admired Fremantle – a company known for creativity, innovation, and groundbreaking formats. I can’t wait to get started and collaborate with the exceptional talent across the Fremantle business.” Fremantle’s entertainment catalogue includes franchises including “The Price is Right,” “Family Feud,” “Got Talent,” “Idol,” “Masked Singer,” “The X Factor,” and “Too Hot To Handle.” Jump to Comments ‘Hijack’ Showrunner Teases Possibilities for Season 3: ‘It Could Be on a Boat, It Could Be on an E-Bike, It Could Be in the Back of a Limo’ In a Thrilling U.S. Headlining Debut at the Troubadour, Sienna Spiro Shows Why She’s About to Become the World’s Next Pop Vocal Superhero: Concert Review ‘Whisperings of the Moon,’ ‘Silver’ and ‘Zumeca’ Among 2026 Slamdance Film Festival Award Winners Australian Grand Prix: How to Watch 2026 F1 Season Opener Online for Free Variety to Host Next Generation Entertainment Podcast Brunch Presented by Google TV at SXSW Supernatural Reality Competition ‘Battle of Fates’ Breaks Disney+ Korea Record, Sets Global Adaptations (EXCLUSIVE) JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...