EXCLUSIVE: Night Train Digital has named a former YouTube and Sky exec as Caitlin Meek-O’Connor’s replacement.
Neil Francis joins as Managing Director of the one-year-old business, which is based in London as part of Herbert L. Kloiber’s Night Train Media.
Former Night Train Digital boss Meek-O’Connor exited recently to launch a Scotland-based consultancy, Ferry, alongside Mark MacDonald. That came just under a year after we told you about the digital unit’s launch in September 2024.
Francis has worked in online video and broadcasting for more than 20 years, and has held senior roles at Sky, Blinkbox and Lickd. He’s best known for a six-year spell at YouTube-owned, leading teams across EMEA and APAC and working with content partners to build their long-term digital strategies.
Those digital rights skills will come to good use at Night Train Digital. which manages more than 50 YouTube channels with a combined 20 million subscribers. The unit was launched last year to manage channels and social media accounts for Night Train Media’s distribution outfit, Eccho Rights. It also offers end-to-end digital services to producers.
“I’m excited to be joining Night Train Digital to lead the business into its next stage of growth,” said Francis. “With strong foundations already in place, there is a huge opportunity to build on our channels and rights across the group, bridging the gap between traditional TV and long-form content on digital platforms. I look forward to working with the team to deliver an industry-leading operation, develop strong partnerships with platforms, and explore digital-first, creator-led content as a key driver of Night Train Media’s future success.”
Herbert Kloiber, CEO of Night Train Media Group, added: “Digital rights and platform strategy are becoming central to how audiences consume content worldwide, and Night Train Digital is a key part of our growth story. Neil’s proven leadership and deep understanding of YouTube and the wider digital ecosystem make him the ideal person to guide us through this exciting next phase. We’re delighted to welcome him to the team and look forward to building a truly world-class digital operation together.”
Production and distribution group Night Train Media launched back in 2020 under former Tele München Group Managing Director Kloiber. Backed by private equity investor Serafin Group, it owns Eccho Rights, Paul Heaney’s BossaNova and Chess Masters producer Curve Media.
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