How Passion for Data Led to a Top Streaming Gig at Paramount

When Tanya Giles entered the television industry, streaming didn’t exist. Now, the executive heads up programming for one of the biggest names in media. Paramount, formerly ViacomCBS, named Giles chief programming officer of streaming last summer. That put her over programming decisions for Paramount+ and Pluto TV, helping to scale the company’s rapidly growing streaming division. Giles started at Paramount in 1995, back when the company was known simply as CBS. She started in the research department, arriving at the office at 7 a.m. to pull the ratings. But her passion for television began much earlier than that. “When I was 6, I used to memorize TV Guide schedules, and in college became a TV major. To say that I’m a fan of content is probably quite an understatement,” Giles said. “I wanted to work in television for as long as I could remember. It’s been a dream to work within the Paramount family for the last 20-plus years. And within that time, I’ve seen things shift so quickly, especially within the last 10 years. It’s been fascinating to be a part of it.” While Giles loves television, it wasn’t her vast knowledge of content that landed her the programming role, but rather her fascination with research and data, stemming from that first research role with CBS. She moved from the analytics side of research to the audience side, taking a role at Nickelodeon, before eventually rising to general manager for the ViacomCBS MTV Entertainment Group, leading content strategy, programming, and research and insights for brands like Comedy Central, Paramount Network, VH1 and TV Land. Besides the changes in how we watch content, "as a researcher, I’ve witnessed a seismic shift from average audience measurement to truly one-to-one audience behavior," she noted, "but one thing remains the same: People love both the lean-back and lean-in experience to consume content. There’s power behind the numbers.” And those numbers are only growing at Paramount. The company broke its own records in the fourth quarter when it came to streaming, reaching 32.8 million subscribers, roughly double where it stood at the end of the first quarter. “Overall," Giles added, "our team and streaming strategy is well positioned not only to win but to entertain the total household." Big mistake “One of the early lessons of my career is that research should always be a part of the decision-making process,” she said. “I’ve seen how programming decisions benefit from ensuring research has a seat at the table and, unfortunately, the consequences when other considerations are weighted more heavily.” Lesson learned Giles has learned a lot about what consumers are looking for and how quickly those things can change. “As someone who loves research, I’ve learned that we need to be keenly aware of the larger business and landscape, and to be constantly thinking and ready to adapt,” she said. How she got the gig Giles has wanted work in television for as long as she can remember. “I’m just a huge fan of it and love being part of creating a place for people to laugh, escape and connect with others,” she said. She’s been with Paramount her entire career and worked her way up through the company, always with a research and data focus. Pro tip “Know your brand, listen and always be ready for the next opportunity,” she said. “Stay aware of the larger entertainment landscape and understand who your audience is and what they want.”