We are delighted to announce the appointment of Katie Pike to the role of Director of Sales and Acquisitions.
Pike is set to assume her new role on February 1, joining Primitives from Paramount Global Content Distribution, where she most recently served as director of formats. With more than 14 years of experience across Paramount and CBS, Pike has been instrumental in expanding the international reach of a portfolio of globally recognized entertainment brands.
Her remit has spanned marquee unscripted franchises including Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Hollywood Squares, Carpool Karaoke, Next Top Model, and Ex on the Beach, alongside Paramount’s premium scripted slate, supporting the global rollout of acclaimed series such as The Good Wife, Why Women Kill, Dynasty, Blue Bloods, and The Affair. Pike is widely regarded for her strategic leadership and deep expertise in global formats and international markets.
Pike’s appointment follows the announcement in December that Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne has taken over from Jan Huyse as Primitives’ managing director. Under the new structure, Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne will continue to oversee all sales and acquisitions to Benelux, Nordics, Germany and France, while Pike will represent the company’s growing portfolio of partnerships in the US, Canada, Latin America, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, Turkey and Asia. London-based sales and acquisitions manager Emma Gosling will continue to service clients in the UK, Australia and CEE.
Primitives has enjoyed an exceptional year, buoyed by the success of its original Belgian format 99 To Beat, which now sits alongside global juggernaut The Traitors as one of the six most internationally sold formats in 2025. Last year, the company was ranked by TV trends-tracking agency The WIT in the top-10 global format distributors — the first time that an independent distributor has broken into the formats super-league.
Other 2026 highlights include 13 new season-one commissions, alongside 12 recommissions, underlining broadcaster confidence in Primitive’s returning titles. The distributor has also continued to grow its global footprint, with licenses sold into 19 territories, including the key US and UK markets. During this period, Primitives has licensed content into four new territories: Brazil, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia. In addition, its catalogue has been bolstered by the acquisition of eight new formats, including The Ultimate Celebrity Car Park Showdown, now licensed to two territories and optioned in 13; and Danish entertainment/national heritage hybrid History Hunters, which launched on DR1 in November and has already been optioned in six territories.
Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne said: “This is a defining moment for Primitives, which has performed above and beyond expectation in the last year. 99 To Beat’s ongoing success points to broadcasters’ faith in returnable entertainment formats — and the fact that we’ve seen a 50:50 split between new licenses and recommissions shows there’s also room for fresh new formats, which is an uplifting thought! Against this backdrop, Katie’s experience and perspective will be invaluable. She comes to us with an outstanding track record, along with a sharp business mindset and a collaborative approach that fits perfectly with our culture. I’m very much looking forward to working with her as we continue to grow Primitives together.”
Katie Pike said: “I am thrilled to be joining Primitives at such a positive moment. Simone and the team are doing incredibly well in an exceptionally challenging market, and there’s a real sense of momentum and ambition around the company. For me, joining Primitives feels like the next logical step in my career. After a deeply rewarding 14 years at Paramount/CBS working on some of the most successful formats of the past, I’m looking forward to bringing my knowledge and experience to a company that looks to redefine the formats industry of the future.”
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