Sky has hired BBC assistant commissioner Dwayne Eaton for a newly-created arts and entertainment position.
Eaton, who joined the BBC in 2019 through its content commissioner development programme for people from underrepresented backgrounds, takes up the title of commissioning executive.
Reporting to Phil Edgar-Jones, who heads up both Sky Arts and entertainment across the Sky portfolio, he will work on returners such as Portrait Artist of the Year and Life & Rhymes and Sky Max formats including A League of Their Own and Rob & Romesh Vs.
Last year, Eaton was named as one of the TV Collective's Future Breakthrough Leaders, which gave him a year-long development and mentoring programme.
At the BBC, he commissioned Renowned Films' streetwear design competition format The Drop and Naked’s Black music entertainment show Tonight, both for BBC3, and worked across the portfolio on established shows such as Only Connect, Mastermind, Drag Race UK and The Graham Norton Show.
He also mentored five BAME-led companies through the BBC's Small Indies Fund.
Eaton spoke of his emotional connection with the broadcaster, which he said “holds a special place in my heart.”
He elaborated: “I grew up on a council estate and when I was young, Sky was the only entertainment we could really afford. We didn’t go to the cinema or theatre so Sky was my window to the world.”
Prior to the BBC, Eaton was UK lead casting producer on a Facebook advertising campaign and has previously worked on shows such as Big Brother, Dragons' Den and The Voice.
