Marquee TV Acquires Helio Arts; Singer and Film Maker Ryan McKinny Appointed to Exec Team

MARQUEE TV, the specialist streaming service for arts and culture, announced today the acquisition of Helio Arts and the appointment of Helio Arts's co-founder and CEO, Ryan McKinny, as Marquee TV’s Head of U.S. Content Partnerships.

 

Video content and partnerships from U.S. based streaming site Helio Arts will be folded into the Marquee TV catalogue, adding to the site’s extensive classical music and dance categories. Highlights from Helio Arts’s collection include Bon Appétit, a one-woman opera about American chef Julia Child starring renowned mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and After/Glow, a retelling of Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, which won an award at the Seattle Film Festival in 2021.

 

Also announced today is an internal restructuring that sees long-serving COO Nina Laricheva appointed CEO, succeeding co-founder & CEO Simon Walker, who becomes Chairman. Laricheva takes on full executive responsibility for the business, with McKinney reporting directly to her, while Walker focuses on strategy and corporate development. Both the arts world and the streaming market are transforming at pace and Laricheva and Walker combine the experience and expertise to ensure Marquee TV is well placed to maximize the opportunities ahead.

 

Walker commented: “Marquee TV’s global mission is to democratize access to the performing arts. We are transforming our sector through strong partnerships with the world’s greatest artists and arts organisations. Ryan’s ambition, both creatively and commercially, is a perfect fit with ours and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.”

 

“One of the most gratifying parts of building Helio has been nurturing incredible artists as they connect with audiences in new ways,” said McKinny. “As a performer and filmmaker, I’ve been hugely inspired by Simon’s vision of Marquee TV as a streaming service that truly serves both audiences and artists, and I’m eager to expand the range of American creative projects available on the world’s leading digital arts platform.”

 

Laricheva commented: “Our sector is just at the beginning of its transformation to digital. At Marquee TV we are building the best brand, the best team, the best technology, the best distribution and most importantly the best set of content partners – both artists and arts organizations. I’m thrilled to take the wheel for the next phase of growth.”

 

“Ryan McKinny brings a keen artistic eye and a huge heart to every project he works on, both onstage and behind the camera,” said Jamie Barton. “He consistently uses his personal power to help elevate new voices in classical music, and I can’t wait to see the impact he will have on the incredible breadth of projects available on Marquee TV. I’m thrilled to see an artist of Ryan’s caliber take on a leadership role like this.”

 

Marquee TV partners with the world’s leading dance, opera, theatre and music companies to offer on demand performances for its global audience. The streaming service currently has over 450 titles including performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House, London Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin and more.

 

 

Marquee TV is the global streaming TV service for dance, opera, music and theatre. Based in London and New York, and available around the world, Marquee TV is the ultimate arts companion, curating a rich mix of the world's greatest artists in their greatest performances, from the contemporary and cutting-edge to the classics. Available direct from app stores and on the best TV platforms, Marquee TV is the only arts and culture service on Amazon Prime Channels. Marquee TV is also available on iOS and Android apps, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Comcast X1, Cox, Roku and Samsung with regular launches on additional platforms around the world. Described by both Dance Magazine and the Financial Times as ‘Netflix for the arts’, Marquee TV is at the vanguard of the next generation of niche subscription video on demand services. 

 

 

American bass-baritone Ryan McKinny has earned his reputation as an artist with something to say. His relentless curiosity informs riveting character portrayals and beautifully crafted performances on the world's most prominent stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Colón, Deutsche Oper Berlin, LA Opera, and the Bayreuth Festival. Ryan believes the power of art lies in its relevance – that genuine connection can awaken society to the possibilities of change. He brings this clarity of vision to his work behind the camera, creating intimate films that bring stunningly beautiful and innovative performances to streaming audiences at Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Austin Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Dallas Opera.