Red Bull Hires Nat Geo’s Bernadette McDaid as Global Head of Content Development (EXCLUSIVE)

By Manori Ravindran

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Red Bull Media House has hired National Geographic and former Science Channel exec Bernadette McDaid as global head of content development, Variety has confirmed.

The exec, who is to begin the role on Jan. 20, is to focus on expanding Red Bull’s programming ambitions. McDaid, who has been based out of London for the last three years, will relocate to Red Bull HQ in Salzburg, Austria, for the role.

Formed in 2007, the entertainment arm of the popular energy drink company produces and licenses short-form and long-form programming, as well as feature films. It has a focus on sports, culture and lifestyle content, and owns Austrian TV network ServusTV, factual production company Terra Mater Factual Studios and a third-party content library known as the Red Bull Content Pool.

Red Bull Films and HBO recently partnered on “Any One of Us,” on pro mountain biker Paul Basagoita. Meanwhile, in 2018, teamed up with Berlin-based space pioneers PTScientists to be the exclusive media production and distribution partner for “Mission to the Moon,” the first private venture to land on the Moon.

Variety has confirmed that McDaid departed over the holidays.

The channel’s parent group, Fox Networks Group, has been undergoing an extensive restructuring process out of the U.K. in recent months following the Disney-Fox merger – a drawn-out process that has impacted a number of different roles.

Variety recently revealed that most of the London-based and international sales and marketing staffers at FNG Content Distribution have departed. The sales unit sold programming from Fox’s international cable nets, including Fox and National Geographic.

McDaid, who was acting head of development and programming, was one of the key execs for National Geographic in London. Variety understands that Hamish Mykura, EVP of programming and development, is still in place.

Prior to joining National Geographic, McDaid was a long-time Science Channel exec, most recently serving as head of programming for the Discovery-owned network out of Washington D.C.

She crossed the pond to London in 2017 to join National Geographic, with some of her exec producer credits including “Operation Royal Wedding” and “Apollo: Missions to the Moon.”