Sebastian Burkhardt

Head of Partnerships and Commercial Strategy

Keshet International

Reflecting an increasingly integrated environment between traditional and digital content, Sebastian Burkhardt was named to lead Keshet International’s combined digital and acquisitions arm in 2016.

Since arriving at Keshet International in April 2015 as Head of Business Development and Acquisitions, Sebastian has been identifying and executing distinctive new business opportunities for the company to maximize the sales potential of its content across all platforms.

Under Sebastian’s guidance, Keshet has entered into a variety of deals encompassing deficit financing, co-productions and pre-sales across scripted and unscripted programming in both linear TV and digital. These include an attention-grabbing digital co-production and distribution arrangement with music label Interscope Geffen A&M, as well as leading a host of global distribution deals in his acquisitions role with partners Viacom, New Form Digital, Woodcut Media and others. He has also led the charge of acquisitions of third-party formats rights for KI’s production subsidiaries in both the US and  UK.

Prior to joining Keshet, Sebastian was SVP International Distribution at Banijay International, having joined the company in early 2009. There, too, he played a key role in its expansion in leading a team of sales executives and successfully brokering format and finished program deals across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.

Speaking at: Meet an Expert: Distributors