Biography
A proven creator, operator, and strategist in both traditional and new media, Levin has been instrumental in launching and managing numerous entertainment franchises that have left a lasting impact on popular culture over three and a half decades as an enterprising network and studio executive, Emmy-award winning producer, director, and digital entrepreneur. Acknowledged for his insightful understanding of youthful audiences, Levin's experience spans a broad range of content genres in both long and short-form series and film, including scripted comedy and drama, unscripted formats, reality, documentary, news, podcasting, animation, branded entertainment, and live events. Considered a prominent thought leader, innovative builder, and collaborative partner, Levin has been recognized by many publications and organizations for his forward-thinking influence across the entertainment, sports, advertising, and technology communities.
A full-time Professor of Practice in the RTF department at the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication, Levin also leverages his professional experience as a strategic advisor and business consultant for select entertainment and sports enterprises.
Previously, Levin was General Manager of the Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary, Rooster Teeth, a dynamic media and entertainment company based in Austin, Texas that built a rabidly passionate community of engaged fans around the world with original content driving a diversified business model of direct subscription membership, advertising sales and sponsorships, content production, licensing and distribution, events, and e-commerce revenue, all which Levin oversaw. Recruited by then WarnerMedia leadership and the company's founders in 2019 to stabilize and restructure Rooster Teeth after years of aggressive investment fueled speculative growth initiatives, Levin enacted operational rigor, introduced best practices around culture, accelerated key growth areas, ensured value preservation of its core businesses, and implemented both the meaningful corporate integration and external sale of the company's premium proprietary assets in 2024. Before joining Rooster Teeth in 2019, Levin served as the CEO of Awesomeness, a multiplatform media company and Gen-Z entertainment brand. Comcast NBCUniversal recruited Levin to evaluate the majority stake in Awesomeness it acquired following its purchase of DreamWorks Animation. In this capacity, Levin oversaw the growth of the company's digital networks, film and television studio, and creative agency, before successfully initiating and facilitating the company's sale to Viacom. Formerly, Levin became the NFL's first Chief Content Officer, managing the league's content portfolio across the NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL Mobile, its social media channels, newsroom, event programming, including the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and external partnerships. Prior to the NFL, Levin joined Microsoft's nascent Xbox Entertainment Studios division as Executive Vice President, General Manager tasked with coordinating the launch of an interactive, video-on-demand programming service creating original premium content for the direct-to-consumer Xbox platform. In 2005, Levin built Generate, a pioneering studio and talent management company. He sold the company to Alloy Digital in 2011 and served as President of the new entity. Earlier, Levin joined The WB Television Network (now The CW) in 1994 as part of its founding executive team where he spent a decade helping to build and brand America's most successful broadcast network targeting young-adults. He became sole President of Programming in 2001, included oversight of 'Kids' WB,' and two years later became the youngest CEO in broadcast television history. Levin began his career as a member of the creative team that revitalized the Disney brand in network television and established the Walt Disney Writers Fellowship Program.
A frequent keynote speaker, moderator, panelist and presenter, Levin is also a published author and adjunct professor. He has lent his strategic acumen to a variety of boards: including non-profit organizations, industry associations, academic institutions, political advocacy groups and early stage media companies, such as NATPE, for which he is a past Chairman, HRTS, for which he is a past President, the Austin Television Festival, the Austin Film Society, the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication Advisory Council and the Los Angeles Network for Moody College. He was named the College's Alumnus of the Year in 2002, was the University Alumni Organization's 2004 Outstanding Young Texas-Ex Award recipient, selected as one of the University's 125 Extraordinary Exes in 2010 and presented the Robert C. Jeffrey College Benefactor Award in 2018.
