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Former Nine MD Amanda Laing joins Foxtel as part of Patrick Delany’s rebuilding push

Nine’s former managing director Amanda Laing has taken a consulting role with Foxtel as CEO Patrick Delany prepares the subscription TV company for a possible stock market listing later this year, the Australian Financial Review reported today.

Laing, who left Nine last year, had been instrumental in the network’s 2015 negotiations for the NRL broadcast rights and joins Foxtel a week after the pay TV operator and Seven successfully bid for the Australian domestic cricket rights.

Former Nine GM Amanda Laing joins Foxtel as part of Patrick Delany’s rebuilding efforts

Delany described the cricket rights deal as being “just one brick in our rebuilding over the next 12 months that will lead back to growth” as the company looks to building subscriber numbers and streaming revenues.

Along with Laing’s appointment, former Sky Deutschland COO Euan Smith has also been retained as consultant to Foxtel.

The AFR also reported Foxtel’s CFO Gavin Dumsday has left the company. Dumsday joined the subscription TV operator in 2003 and had was appointed as finance boss by former Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein in 2013.

Mumbrella has contacted Foxtel for comment on the moves.

Earlier this year, Foxtel majority shareholder News Corp reduced the book value of Foxtel by $1 billion as the pay TV provider missed sales revenue targets.

Foxtel has seen major changes during the last twelve months as News Corp have moved to become the majority stake holder in what was a 50-50 joint venture with Telstra.

Delany himself took the helm at Foxtel at the end of January after the company was merged with Fox Sports as part of the deal winding back Telstra’s ownership.

At the time Delany – previously Fox Sports’ CEO – was appointed, former Commonwealth Bank and Xero CMO Andy Lark was appointed as the company’s head marketer.

Since Delany’s appointment, the company has announced it would slash call centre staff to reduce operating costs and this week shook up its agency roster with Marcel being appointed and TBWA resigning from the account.

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