Longtime Xumo executive Colin Petrie-Norris, who led the FAST platform as CEO in the years prior to its $100 million acquisition by Comcast in 2020 and has since served in roles including chief revenue officer, is departing the company.
"It’s been a magical nearly 12 years for me since the start, and in having a little to do with this whole #FAST / Free TV thing," Petrie-Norris said in a note on LinkedIn, posted Wednesday. "I think it’s pretty unique and special to have started a business that got sold 3 times: Once to Panasonic (JV), again to Comcast and then again to Charter Communications.
Comcast and Charter are now using the Xumo brand name for a broader OTT joint venture, for which the Xumo FAST platform (now branded "Xumo Play") is merely a component.
But founded in 2011 as a joint venture between the Viant Technology, a subsidiary of MySpace parent company Meredith Corporation, and Panasonic, Xumo was one of the earliest providers of free, ad-supported streaming channels.
Petrie-Norris, a former Capital One analyst, joined Xumo in 2013 as CEO and remained in that role through July 2021, helping the company close its deal with Comcast and shepherding it through its integration.
