Brad Schwartz has been listed among Broadcasting and Cable’s “Next Wave of Leaders”, The Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Generation”, CableFax’s “Top 100 Power Players”, named one of “Canada’s Top 40 Under 40” Leaders and was inducted into the CableFax Hall of Fame.

He is currently the President of Entertainment at The CW, America’s fifth national television network reaching 120+ Million Homes as well as an AVOD streaming app that has almost 100 Million downloads. Schwartz is responsible for programming strategy, creative and brand development, communications, and day-to-day operations of The CW Network. Prior to The CW, Schwartz led the high profile, award-winning rebrand of The TV Guide Network to Pop TV, which debuted in 2015 as a CBS & Lionsgate Joint Venture and purchased by ViacomCBS (NYSE: VIAC) in 2020.

Overseeing both creative and business operations, the network achieved six consecutive years of growth in audience and revenue. In 2020, Pop TV was the fastest growing (non-news) network in all of television. Commissioned by The CBC and produced in association with Pop TV, Schwartz brought flagship original series Schitt’s Creek to the network, which received 4 Emmy Nominations in 2019, making Pop only the second basic cable network in history with a Best Comedy Series Emmy Nomination. In 2020, Schitt’s Creek won more Emmys than any comedy series in history and Pop TV won more Emmys than any media brand besides HBO and Netflix.

Schwartz also brought Norman Lear’s LatinX reboot of One Day At A Time to Pop TV, which won 2 Emmy Awards and became the highest rated Original Series Premiere in the history of the network. Both series were nominated at the 2019 Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Comedy Series. Pop’s original series Flack, starring Academy Award winner Anna Paquin was licensed to Amazon as a Prime Original. According to Nielsen streaming charts, Schitts Creek was the #6 series in all of streaming in 2020.

Throughout his career, Schwartz has led the transformation or launch of six different media brands and has served as a top executive for MSG Media, Bell Media, Lionsgate and ViacomCBS. Prior to Pop, he was SVP of Programming and Operations for Fuse, where he led an award-winning rebrand campaign, delivered the highest ratings in the network’s history, created a Top-10 YouTube partner channel, and discovered critically acclaimed programming and talent including Amy Schumer, the Emmy-nominated Billy on The Street with Billy Eichner, Prentice Penny’s Image Award-winning The Hustle, GLAAD-winning Best Reality Series Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce and developed the Emmy and Peabody-winning Hip Hop Evolution with Banger Films.

Prior to Fuse, Schwartz served as General Manager of a portfolio of eight music and pop culture networks in Canada, including MTV Canada & MuchMusic. Within three years of launching MTV, the channel became a top 10 network and a profitable business. During his tenure, the MTV Team created the Gemini-winning MTV Live, pioneered the After-Show concept with the North American-wide hit The Hills After Show and won global awards for the network’s brand identity.

Later, he merged MTV and MuchMusic to reach more than 48% of all young Canadians every week, driving double-digit increases in ratings and revenue. The MuchMusic Team delivered the highest-rated year in its 30 year history, which included the highest rated non-sports cable program on television The MuchMusic Video Awards, Emmy-nominated Degrassi, winner of the Peabody Award, and produced Martin Gero’s first TV show The L.A. Complex. Schwartz launched and led VEVO in Canada.

Earlier in his career, Schwartz was Director of Global Marketing at MTV and began his career working for Lorne Michaels at Saturday Night Live. He is a member of PROMAX/BDA’s Board of Directors and the New York Television Festival Board. Schwartz is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker