Ryan Crosby has joined Los Angeles-based Riot Games as head of global entertainment marketing and consumer products, the company said Thursday. Riot Games is the game developer and publisher behind League of Legends.
Crosby and his team, who will report into Shauna Spenley, president of global entertainment, will develop and produce entertainment extensions based on Riot Games’ intellectual property.
“Ryan and I worked together for years at Netflix and I’m excited to bring his unique mix of strategic and creative experience to Riot as we continue to grow the entertainment division,” said Spenley in a statement. “His deep gaming expertise, combined with broad entertainment background, will prove invaluable as we build global teams that will pioneer the future of entertainment.”
“I’ve been a longtime fan of Riot and am looking forward to delivering creative work that will help grow global fandom across our full portfolio,” said Crosby, also in a statement. “The IP offers infinite creative opportunities across TV, film, music and consumer products, and when combined with Riot’s ability to tie it all together through a community-centered gaming experience, I truly believe it will change the way the world consumes and views entertainment.”
Crosby brings more than 20 years of advertising and marketing experience to Riot, having worked for brands at the intersection of technology and entertainment including Activision, Hulu, Microsoft, and Netflix. He most recently served as vice president of marketing at Hulu, where he oversaw marketing across the company’s brand, original content, licensed content and live TV businesses, as well as its consumer insights and internal creative studio.