Building on cable success with strong streaming content

Isaac Holub, who co-founded prodco Lucky 8 at age 26 following a stint at Nat Geo, spearheads development across the company's entire roster of programming. This past year saw the Stamford, Connecticut-headquartered prodco build on its previous cable TV successes with a formidable foray into streaming. In 2024, he served as executive producer on Netflix's breakout unscripted hit Unlocked: A Jail Experiment — among the top three returnable unscripted series on Netflix, per the streamer's September report — while also shepherding the return of A&E favorite 60 Days In and the follow-up series Booked: First Day In. Other recent credits include the History Channel hits The Food That Built America and its successor The Mega-Brands That Built America, as well as two new seasons of Nat Geo's To Catch a Smuggler, plus the new spin-off To Catch a Smuggler: Tropical Takedown, serving as EP on all of the above. JA

What changes would you like to see, and help create, in the industry?

"It seems we're headed back to a place where producers have more autonomy in terms of how their content is produced and distributed. Rights retention is back on the table for prodcos, and I think that's a path that can benefit buyers and sellers in 2025. It's a conversation our team certainly plans to continue and ramp up in the new year."