AT&T and Peter Chernin’s Otter Media Promotes Sarah Harden To President

AT&T and Peter Chernin‘s joint venture, Otter Media, just promoted Sarah Harden to president — which positions her to be a key player as the telco prepares its big push into mobile video.

In her new job, the former EVP of Strategy and Investments will “drive strategy and operational activities for Otter Media in alignment with both [The Chernin Group] and AT&T’s aggressive growth agendas in the online video space,” the companies say.

TCG President Jesse Jacobs calls Harden “integral to Otter Media’s rapid development and success.”

Harden joined The Chernin Group as an EVP in September 2013, and helped it to buy a majority interest in anime platform Crunchyroll, and form the Otter Media JV. Later she helped the venture to buy a controlling stake in Fullscreen which she then helped to buy digital studio Rooster Teeth and social media studio McBeard.

Earlier Harden was News Corp’s Group Director, Partnerships and Development, Asia, and was SVP of Business Development for Fox Networks Group. She serves on the boards of Crunchyroll and Fullscreen.

Last week AT&T chief Randall Stephenson said he plans to “turn some heads” in January with a new mobile entertainment service. The company, which recently bought DirecTV, also has “a lot of irons in the fire” in programming — especially in Otter Media which he said is “developing some unique and exciting things” that could go to satellite or mobile customers.