MUMBAI: Peter Hutton, former chief operating officer of Taj Television, will head the new sports division set up by Fox International Channels (FIC) and Fox Sports Media Group.

Effective immediately, the new venture will have Hutton join as FIC Sports senior VP.

FIC Sports now manages the syndication of Fox Sports content worldwide. Its mission is to centralise Fox‘s wide-array of international sports interests under one group in an effort to increase revenues through syndication and to support News Corp‘s sports activities and worldwide strategies.

Hutton reports to FIC president and CEO Hernan Lopez, and is supported by sales executive Zoe Duffelen.

Lopez said, ?As FIC enters the sports syndication business, we are thrilled that an executive of Peter?s caliber has joined the company. Combining his extensive experience in dealing with international sports television rights and the creative eye of a television producer, Peter is uniquely qualified to lead this new endeavour.?

Most recently Hutton was a partner and director at roadreach Media, a consultancy firm that advised clients such as FIC, Sportsband Media Group and Willow Cricket.

 
Hutton was part of the team that launched Taj Television in Dubai. Rising to the role of COO in 2009, he played an instrumental role in acquiring key rights for the broadcast territory such as the 2002 World Cup, UEFA Champions League, U.S. Open tennis, international cricket, and world hockey rights.

Ten Sports, the channel owned by Taj Television, is available in more than 60 million homes.

Before moving into television management, Hutton spent most of his career on the production and creative side of the business. From 1988 to 1993, he was a television commentator for Sky Television, ITV, and the BBC in the UK where he covered sports news and other sports programming, including the first years of the English Premiership football and live Bundesliga football.

In 1993,. Hutton joined Trans World International as the first producer of the magazine show ‘Futbol Mundial‘. He also bought, produced and distributed soccer content worldwide, eventually running the company?s office in India which produced and directed a variety of shows from Indian cricket to the Bollywood awards.

Hutton began his entertainment career as a radio reporter in 1982, and at the time, was the youngest reporter to have a lead story on the national news and the youngest sports editor in British radio at Radio Aire in Leeds.

In addition to Hutton and Duffelen, two US based executives contribute to the FIC Sports team. Peter Marco, VP of business & legal affairs, oversees the division?s business, legal and strategy needs, while Josh Oakley, director of acquisitions, manages rights acquisitions and coordinates operational needs.