René Santaella
Mediaco HoldingAbout René Santaella
René Santaella is Chief Operating Officer of MediaCo Holding Inc. (MDIA), appointed in October 2024; he was 53 as of December 31, 2024 and holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from UCLA . Prior roles include Chief Digital & Streaming Officer at Estrella MediaCo, SVP of Business Planning & Operations at Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Director of Ad Sales Marketing at Disney’s Interactive Media Group . Under MediaCo’s current leadership, company performance in 1H 2025 showed strong momentum: net revenues rose 80% YoY, Adjusted EBITDA turned positive, and digital revenue surged 345%, reaching 33% of total ad income .
Company Performance During Tenure (Illustrative)
| Metric | H1 2024 | H1 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Net Revenues ($000s) | $32,908 | $59,275 |
| Net Loss ($000s) | $(51,984) | $(17,406) |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($000s) | $(4,499) | $2,918 |
| Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%) | (14)% | 5% |
| Digital Revenue YoY Growth (%) | — | 345% |
| Digital Share of Ad Revenue (%) | — | 33.0% |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estrella MediaCo | Chief Digital & Streaming Officer | Not disclosed | Led digital/streaming strategy prior to COO appointment |
| Sony Pictures Entertainment | SVP, Business Planning & Operations | Not disclosed | Oversight of planning/operations within studio ecosystem |
| Disney (Interactive Media Group) | Director, Ad Sales Marketing | Not disclosed | Digital advertising and monetization leadership |
External Roles
No public company board roles or external directorships disclosed in reviewed filings .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $408,854 |
| Annual Bonus ($) | $361,200 |
| Target Bonus (%) | Not disclosed |
| Stock Awards ($) | — (none disclosed for 2024) |
| Option Awards ($) | — (none disclosed for 2024) |
| All Other Compensation ($) | — |
| Total ($) | $770,054 |
Performance Compensation
No detailed performance metric framework (weights/targets) tied to Mr. Santaella’s 2024 bonus is disclosed; Compensation Committee decisions and plan mechanics are described generally without executive-specific metric disclosure . The 2025 Equity Compensation Plan permits Performance Awards (PSUs/units) with vesting based on objectives such as revenue growth, earnings, ROA/ROE, etc., determined by award agreement and committee discretion .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed | — | — | — | $361,200 bonus (metric basis not disclosed) | Not disclosed |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Class A) | 0 shares as of June 18, 2025 (less than 1% of class) |
| Beneficial Ownership (Class B) | 0 shares |
| Vested vs Unvested | No outstanding equity shown for 2024 year-end; no holdings disclosed as of the ownership table date |
| Options (Exercisable/Unexercisable) | None disclosed for Mr. Santaella at 2024 year-end |
| Shares Pledged/Hedging | No pledging/hedging disclosure specific to Mr. Santaella; Company maintains a Securities Trading Policy (blackouts/insider restrictions) |
| Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed |
2025 Plan – Promised Restricted Stock Grant (post shareholder approval)
| Name | Dollar Value ($) | Anticipated Shares |
|---|---|---|
| René Santaella (COO) | $1,000,000 | 934,579 (based on $1.07 close on 6/20/2025) |
Notes:
- Shareholder approval of the 2025 Equity Compensation Plan occurred on August 8, 2025; grants were anticipated to be effective shortly thereafter per proxy language .
- Equity plan share pool: up to 5,000,000 Class A shares; prohibits repricing without shareholder approval; includes clawback/forfeiture provisions; outlines change-in-control treatment for awards .
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Chief Operating Officer in October 2024 .
- Contract term/auto-renewal, severance, and non-compete specifics: Not disclosed for Mr. Santaella in reviewed filings .
- Change-of-control economics: Award treatment governed by the 2025 Equity Compensation Plan; outstanding awards may be assumed/continued or cashed out; accelerated vesting or cancellation subject to Administrator discretion and plan rules .
- Clawback: All awards subject to Company clawback policy and potential forfeiture/recoupment per plan .
- Securities Trading Policy: Company imposes insider trading controls and blackout periods (policy applies to directors/officers/employees) .
Performance & Track Record
- Multiplatform expansion: Announced expanded content distribution and ad sales initiatives (Hemisphere FAST ad sales; Curiosity Stream Spanish FAST channels; new EstrellaTV affiliates; local ad solutions), reflecting a focus on free, interactive content at scale to serve multicultural audiences .
- Sports rights: EstrellaTV multi-year coverage for Tigres/Tigres Femenil and Juarez/Juarez Femenil home matches; Santaella emphasized free, easy access and expansion to Clausura tournament, signaling growth in live sports programming .
- Digital leadership: Estrella MediaCo FAST/CTV record performance—monthly digital uniques +19% YoY, >310 million minutes per month on owned FAST channels, and 290% growth in monetized CTV ad inventory YTD; Santaella highlighted ad tech stack and broad distribution as drivers of Hispanic CTV leadership .
Governance & Say-on-Pay Context
- Compensation Committee: Deborah McDermott (chair), Colbert Cannon, Amit Thakrar, Mary Beth McAdaragh; all independent under Nasdaq standards; three meetings held in the last fiscal year .
- Say-on-Pay 2025: Advisory approval passed with 92,003,245 votes For vs 15,046 Against, indicating strong shareholder support for NEO compensation .
Investment Implications
- Alignment improving: Mr. Santaella had no share ownership as of June 18, 2025, but a substantial restricted stock grant ($1.0M; ~934.6K shares) was authorized under the newly approved 2025 plan, which should materially increase equity alignment and retention incentives once granted .
- Pay-for-performance transparency: 2024 bonus was paid ($361,200), though specific performance metrics/weights were not disclosed; future awards under the 2025 plan can be tied to defined objectives (e.g., revenue, earnings, returns), enabling clearer pay-performance linkage over time .
- Execution signals: Documented growth in revenue, positive Adjusted EBITDA, and outsized digital/CTV momentum, alongside expansion in sports rights and distribution, support the operational trajectory under current leadership—positive for retention and potential performance-based vesting outcomes .
- Governance safeguards: Clawback provisions, prohibition on option repricing without shareholder approval, and formal trading policy mitigate governance risk; say-on-pay support further reduces compensation-related overhangs .