CANNES — Veteran of international television sales Jim Packer entered into a multi-year agreement with Lions Gate which will keep him on the management team as president of global television distribution. News of his contract extension was revealed on October 17, as was the Mipcom The Content Market kicks off this week in Cannes, bringing together the global television community for the first time in three years.

Packer has been with Lionsgate since 2011. The news that he renewed comes at a time of uncertainty for the studio. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said the company, which is home to studio Lionsgate and pay-TV platform Starz, is considering options to separate those assets, perhaps selling the studio to focus on building Starz.

Packer’s role is crucial for Lionsgate, as international film and TV licensing is a key source of revenue for major studios to offset ever-increasing production costs. Lionsgate has remained an independent free agent business selling content across the spectrum, from broadcast cable TV to streaming platforms at a time when its biggest competitors are increasingly funneling top-tier content to direct-to-consumer platforms.

“Jim and his team have grown Lionsgate into a global licensing powerhouse with content reaching virtually every platform in the world,” Feltheimer said. “He is a world-class executive, a respected leader and a trusted partner whose entrepreneurial drive and knowledge of the evolving content industry will continue to be an important part of driving our business forward.”

Most recently, Packer handled sales of “Ghost,” Lionsgate’s sleeper comedy hit for CBS, as well as managing complicated film and television release deals with Starz, Roku, Peacock and Tubi. Lionsgate noted that during Packer’s twelve years at Lionsgate, his film and television library of 17,000 titles saw his total annual revenue double to nearly $800 million.

Prior to Lionsgate, Packer served as global president of television and digital for MGM. Earlier in his career, Packer worked in television distribution for Disney.