Former NBCU Exec Frances Manfredi Joins Future Shack, Reuniting With CEO Jeff Wachtel (EXCLUSIVE)
Former NBCU exec Frances Manfredi, who most recently was president of content acquisition and strategy at Peacock, has joined indie TV studio Future Shack Entertainment as partner and head of distribution and content strategy. The hire was announced Monday by Future Shack Ent. founders Jeff Wachtel, Sam Michaels and Yusik Choi.
Manfredi has already been working with Future Shack, helping secure distribution for the shingle’s shows “Murder in a Small Town” to Fox and “Good Cop/Bad Cop” at The CW, Roku and Australian outlet Stan.
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“Good Cap/Bad Cop” set to premiere in 2025, is a comedy crime procedural starring Leighton Meester, Clancy Brown and Luke Cook. The show, by writer John Quaintance, is a co-production from Future Shack and Jungle Entertainment. “Murder in a Small Town,” starring Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk, will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. this fall on Fox.
“It’s a pleasure and a privilege to have a friend and colleague of Frances’s standing join our venture. As we devote more of our efforts to the world of global sales and production, her experience and relationships will be indispensable,” said Wachtel, Michaels and Choi in a joint statement.
In her recent role at Peacock, Manfredi oversaw curation, negotiation, and licensing, helping put together the streamer’s launch lineup. She spent eight years a president of NBCU Cable & New Media Distribution, which included off-net sales of hit series like “The Office,” “Law & Order,” “House” and “30 Rock.” She was behind the first major studio deal with Netflix in 2006, and also was behind the landmark first-run deal to move “Friday Night Lights” to DirecTV. She also oversaw the domestic streaming rights auction of “The Office” in 2019 to Peacock.
At NBCU, Manfredi worked closely with Wachtel, who as president of USA Network launched hits like “Monk,” “Psych,” “White Collar,” “Suits,” “Mr. Robot,” and “The Sinner,” abd founded NBCU’s cable studio, Universal Content Productions. He most recently was president of NBCU’s international television studio. Before NBCU, Manfredi was a distribution exec at CBS, where she started her TV career in television.
“I am thrilled to join Future Shack and reteam with Jeff Wachtel after many years of successful collaboration at NBCU,” Manfredi said in a statement. “Future Shack’s focus on great storytelling with global appeal delivered through creative distribution models presents a unique opportunity in today’s challenged content market.”
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