Rob Friedman

{{short description|American media executive (born 1950)}}

{{distinguish|Rob Friedman (baseball analyst)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Rob Friedman

| image = Rob Friedman 2012.jpg

| caption = Rob Friedman, 2012

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| nationality = American

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| occupation = Entertainment media executive

| known_for = Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group

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Rob Friedman (born 1950) is an American media executive.

He was the Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, overseeing all aspects of Lionsgate’s domestic and international feature film acquisition, production and distribution as well as the home entertainment releases of theatrical feature films.{{cite news|last=Finke|first=Nikki|title=Rob Friedman & Patrick Wachsberger Sign Lionsgate Employment Contracts; Joe Drake Stays To Run 'The Hunger Games'|url=https://deadline.com/2012/01/rob-friedman-joe-drake-stays-to-run-the-hunger-games-217446/|newspaper=Deadline|date=January 19, 2012}} He stepped down in 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/rob-friedman-stepping-down-as-co-chair-lionsgate-will-serve-as-special-advisor-to-ceo-1201821267/|title=Rob Friedman Stepping Down As Co-Chair Lionsgate; Will Serve As Special Advisor To CEO|last=Busch|first=Anthony D'Alessandro,Anita|date=2016-09-16|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-04-12|language=en-US}} Friedman joined Lionsgate in January 2012 following the company’s acquisition of the worldwide filmed entertainment studio Summit Entertainment{{cite news|last=Fritz|first=Ben|title=Lions Gate to acquire Summit|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/14/business/la-fi-ct-lionsgate-summit-20120114|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313021041/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/14/business/la-fi-ct-lionsgate-summit-20120114|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 14, 2012}} where he served as the Co-Chairman and CEO since 2007.{{cite news|last=Swanson|first=Tim|title=Summit Entertainment's $1 Billion Deal|url=http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-hollywood-deal/2007/04/19/summit-entertainments-1-billion-deal|newspaper=Portfolio|date=April 19, 2007}}

Friedman started his career in 1970 in the mailroom at Warner Bros. Studios and in the subsequent 27 years he held many posts ultimately rising to become the studio's President of Worldwide Advertising and Publicity.{{cite news|title=Record Summer for Movies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/06/movies/record-summer-for-movies.html|newspaper=Associated Press|date=September 6, 1989}}

In 1997, Friedman moved to Paramount Pictures as Vice Chairman of the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. In 2000, he also added the role Chief Operating Officer, ultimately overseeing seven divisions.{{cite news|last=Dunkley|first=Cathy|title=Par pumps exec duet|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117858483|newspaper=Variety|date=January 13, 2002}} He created the studio's specialty film division then known as Paramount Classics.{{cite news|last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Par's Grey area|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117925806|newspaper=Variety|date=July 12, 2005}} Friedman also served on the Board of Directors of UIP, the joint international distribution venture between Paramount and Universal Studios, and Movie Link, one of the internet's first legal film download to view sites.{{cite news|last=Petrikin|first=Chris|title=U, Par extend UIP pact |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117756685|newspaper=Variety|date=October 14, 1999}}

In 2017, Friedman joined Tang Media Partners as CEO and chairman of TMP Entertainment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-rob-friedman-tang-20170808-story.html|title=Former Lionsgate film executive Rob Friedman joins Tang Media|last=Faughnder|first=Ryan|website=Los Angeles Times|date=8 August 2017|access-date=2019-05-07}} TMP's entertainment holdings merged to become Global Road Entertainment and Friedman became chairman and CEO of the Global Road Entertainment studio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/global-road-ceo-rob-friedman-exit-studio/|title=Global Road CEO Rob Friedman to Exit Studio|website=www.thewrap.com|date=9 November 2018|access-date=2019-05-07}} He left these positions in November 2018.

He is a member of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-jewish-wilshire-boulevard-temple-renovation-150-million-330471 Hollywood Reporter: "Hollywood's Hottest $150 Million Project Is an 83-Year-Old Synagogue - Studio heads, agency chieftains and top producers have come together, "Avengers"-style, to save their iconic but decaying Wilshire Boulevard Temple -- an A-list house of worship far from the Westside" by Gary Baum] May 30, 2012 He was a prominent supporter of Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential campaign.[https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/hillary-clinton-fundraiser-hollywood-rob-friedman-lionsgate-1201578100/ Variety: "Hillary Clinton Returning to L.A. for Rob Friedman-Hosted Fundraiser" by Ted Johnson] August 25, 2015