Hayley Babcock

Founder and CEO
Hayley Babcock Media Consulting

Hayley Babcock is a highly respected, entrepreneurial television executive recognized for her exceptional mix of creative and business skills. Babcock has an extensive background in development, production, acquisitions, formats and management. She has built her career developing, producing and acquiring programming, building new divisions in existing organizations and overseeing multiple global franchises and is highly valued for her unique skill in bringing diverse groups together to work as a cohesive team. 

Most recently, Babcock was Head of Formats, International Programming and Production at A+E Networks. She lead all creative and production aspects of the format business including acquisition and co-development of new content for global distribution. Babcock indentified formats from the A+E group of channels ideal for local production in the global marketplace. She also partnered with independent producers, co-developing new format concepts, helping to launch those shows in their originating territories, then bringing that IP into the A+E content sales catalogue. Along with her production and creative oversight, she partnered with the sales, marketing, publicity, business affairs, finance and research teams to drive the 360-degree business. In addition to her role leading the formats group, Babcock was tasked with expanding international factual co-productions.  She sourced projects from producers in the US and abroad with whom A+E could collaborate on new factual programs for international distribution.

Hayley began her career as a producer for KABC Talk Radio in Los Angeles. She then moved to TV as a producer for KABC Television’s daily morning show. After beginning her career in the US, she was recruited by RTL Television Germany to executive produce that country’s first, daily live morning talk show.  Babcock spent the next seven years developing and producing programming in Germany. She went on to create and lead the entertainment department at one of Germany’s largest regional broadcasters in Berlin. Babcock moved from that role to become Head of Development and Executive Producer at Fremantle Media’s German production arm.

Her success at Fremantle in Germany led to the offer of an executive position at CBS International (now ViacomCBS) in Los Angeles. After several years at CBS Hayley was recruited by 20th Century Fox to launch their format production division. Ms. Babcock later went to Sony Pictures Entertainment where she not only ran their unscripted international productions but helped lead strategic creative development across Sony’s global group of production companies. In her roles at these US studios, Babcock oversaw the rollout and international productions of iconic formats such as Shark Tank (aka Dragons’ Den); Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Temptation Island; Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy to name a few.

When Sony’s international production division relocated headquarters to Europe, Babcock left the studio to remain in the US and started Hayley Babcock Media Consulting. She worked with clients such as Shine International, where she took on the role of Head of North American Acquisitions. Babcock also worked with companies such as Red Bull, DRG, Whalerock Industries and A+E International, which ultimately brought her on board in the role she has today. 

Hayley Babcock holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA (the University of California, Los Angeles). She is fluent German and conversational in French. She is a member of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, sits on the board of FRAPA (the Format Recognition and Protection Association), and is on the advisory board of The David Lyle Foundation and is a member of the Advisory Board for Realscreen Live 2021. Hayley was also recently named one of 2020’s Top Women in Media by the trade publication Cynopsis and is a proud founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of Chief, a private network focused on connecting and supporting women leaders. 

Speaking on: Executive Insights: Genre Experts