• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, August 25, 2022

At a time when the theatrical movie business is rebounding, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group has switched media agencies, naming Horizon Media its new media agency of record.

Billings were not disclosed, but when Lionsgate tapped its last agency, Publicis Media's Starcom unit, it reportedly was spending $400 million annually in U.S. media buys.

According to data from Comvergence, North American billings for the Lionsgate account were $93.8 million in 2021.

The assignment follows a competitive review and Horizon will be responsible for creative media strategy, planning, buying, data and analytics for all media channels for Lionsgate's theatrical and home entertainment business.

The studio is poised to release a slate of big budget films including Keanu Reeves' "John Wick: Chapter 4," "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," and a new version of "Dirty Dancing" starring and executive produced by one of the original film's stars, Jennifer Grey.

In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Vice Chair Adam Fogelson cited the role of Horizon's "blu" proprietary data platform for the win.

“Horizon’s data-driven approach, coupled with their experience in theatrical and entertainment marketing as the driver behind many innovative and successful campaigns, made the difference for us,” he said.