Ben Frow to Step Down as Paramount UK Chief Content Officer
Frow will leave his day-to-day role at 5 in summer 2027 after 14 years, with Bryon Rubin temporarily overseeing the network.
Ben Frow will step down as Paramount UK's chief content officer next year, ending a 14-year run at 5, according to Deadline. Frow will leave his day-to-day role at the network in the summer of 2027 and will remain employed by Skydance until the end of next year.
Reemah Sakaan, president of 5, announced Frow's departure in an internal email. In the interim, Bryon Rubin, CBS chief operating officer, has been put in temporary charge of 5 and Australia's Network Ten, while JB Perrette will take on streaming and networks outside of the U.S.
The leadership changes come as Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal closed a week before the announcement, creating the Skydance empire. The reshuffle also coincides with the exits of Paramount international chief Kevin MacLellan and his Warner Bros. Discovery counterpart, Gerhard Zeiler.
Frow joined 5 in 2012, when British media baron Richard Desmond owned the network. During his tenure, he cancelled Big Brother in 2018 and reinvested the cash into drama and high-end factual content. In 2023, he revealed on stage at the Edinburgh TV Festival that he had secretly resigned in April 2022 due to burnout, later reversing the decision.
Under his watch, 5 posted a record operating profit of £71.7 million ($95M) in 2021. The network won BAFTA and Royal Television Society awards in 2024 for White Nanny, Black Child and was named Channel of the Year at the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2025.
Quick answers
When will Ben Frow step down as Paramount UK's chief content officer?
Frow will leave his day-to-day role at 5 in the summer of 2027, and he will remain employed by Skydance until the end of next year.
Who will oversee 5 in the meantime?
Bryon Rubin, CBS chief operating officer, has been put in temporary charge of 5 and Australia's Network Ten, while JB Perrette takes on streaming and networks outside of the U.S.
How long has Ben Frow been at 5?
Frow joined 5 in 2012, giving him a 14-year tenure at the network.