Jeff Collins To Head New Sky Studios-Backed Production Company Catalina Content

EXCLUSIVE: Days afterJeff Collins left Dance Moms producer Collins Avenue, which he had founded and run for more than 10 years, the reality veteran has set up his new venture.

Collins has been named president of Catalina Content, a new Los Angeles-based production label backed by Sky Studios in the UK. Running all creative for the new company, Collins has been tasked with creating character-driven and female-skewing programming, as well as entertainment formats for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.

Catalina Content joins Sky Studios non-scripted portfolio, which includes Jupiter Entertainment, creator of such crime series as Snapped, ID Murder Mystery, In Pursuit with John Walsh and Joe Kenda, Homicide Hunter, Love Productions, best known for The Great American Baking Show, Znak & Co (Fox’s upcoming Ultimate Tag) and Talos Films.

“We have landed a prime asset in Jeff. His proven success in creating and developing character-led programming is an ideal complement to our factual businesses.” said Jane Millichip, Chief Commercial Officer of Sky Studios.

Collins launched Collins Avenue in 2009 in a joint venture with Content Media. The parent company was later acquired by Kew Media, which just sold Collins Avenue to Asylum Entertainment’s The Content Group.

As Collins Avenue President, Collins has served as executive producer on all the company’s productions, including Lifetime series Dance Moms and its spinoff series and specials, The CW’s Fly Girls and Animal Planet’s American Stuffers.

He also worked on shows such as Lifetime’s How Clean Is Your House?, The WB’s Survival of the Richest and MTV’s Crashing With and oversaw the U.S. office of Bridezillas and Billy The Exterminator producer September Films.

Prior to starting his own company, Collins served as VP of Leeza Gibbons Enterprises at Paramount Studios where he was responsible for documentary and specials programming. He started his production career on Entertainment Tonight

Over his two decades of experience to date, Collins has produced thousands of hours of television across multiple genres and networks like HGTV, Lifetime, FYI, E!, TLC, CW, WeTV, Animal Planet and NatGeo.

“I’ve launched a company from the ground up, so I know what an exciting adventure it is,” Collins said. “With the backing and support of a global, creative giant like Sky Studios, this new chapter will be exponentially more spectacular across the board. I am humbled by the opportunity and can’t wait to join such a great stable of producers.”