Xtreme One Entertainment Names Former HBO and Warner Brothers Executive Chris Defendis as President
20-Year Veteran in Sports and Entertainment Industry Focused on Driving Fan Engagement, Global Viewership for $XONI
DETROIT, July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc. (OTCPink: XONI) (the “Company” or “Xtreme One”) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed sports, entertainment and broadcast executive Chris Defendis as the Company’s new President, effective July 1. Mr. Defendis succeeds Doug Kuiper, who has served as interim President of Xtreme One since October 2023.
Defendis joined Xtreme One in March 2024 as the Company’s Executive Vice President of Distribution after serving as the Vice President of Affiliate Marketing at WWE, where he was responsible for the creation and implementation of the marketing strategy for partnerships with key broadcast and streaming partners. He also spent 15 years with TV, film and streaming platforms, serving as the Vice President of Partner Management at Warner Brothers Discovery and Vice President of Network Distribution at HBO. At Warner he led the implementation of revenue and growth strategies responsible for $1.5 billion in annual revenue across 20+ million customers and spanning all the Warner Brother Discovery brands. At HBO he developed go-to-market strategies, led customer acquisition efforts, and led the transition of HBO to HBO Max.
“We are incredibly pleased to elevate Chris to President given his track record in sports and entertainment and his rapid acceleration of partnerships and viewership for the XFC from the opening bell,” said Jeff Lambert, Board Chair of Xtreme One and head of the Board search committee. “Chris understands our vision to build a world-class organization where athletes from across the globe want to come and compete. His extensive background in the industry, his experience developing key partnerships, and his storied success in driving growth strategies focused on customer acquisition uniquely position him to lead this organization into its next phase.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Doug Kuiper for repositioning the company, bringing the XFC into the Xtreme One family, and putting XONI on the path for major growth. His leadership and focus on the transformation of the Company were critical, and we are thankful to retain him as an investor and fan,” Lambert added.
“It’s a great honor to lead Xtreme One at this critical point in the Company’s trajectory and to join a team and all-star Board with the capacity to do great things together,” said Chris Defendis. “My career has centered around building successful partnerships and driving growth within the entertainment industry, and this is the perfect opportunity to apply my major-broadcast-brand experience to the heritage and potential of the XFC to benefit fighters, fans and shareholders.”
Defendis earned his MBA from DePaul University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton. A lifelong sports fan, Chris lives with his wife and two children in suburban Indianapolis.
About Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc.
Founded in 1995 as a consumer and diversified holding company, Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc. (OTCPink: XONI) is now focused on media, entertainment, live sports, and event marketing. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, XFC Global, Inc. (XFC), is the licensee of all the brands and intellectual property of Xtreme Fighting Championships. For more information or for upcoming events, visit XtremeOne.com or XFCFight.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the following: the Company’s lack of history of operating profitability, the need to raise significant capital to fund operations and growth, uncertainty concerning the transition of the Company’s business model, uncertainty concerning market acceptance of the Company’s sports and entertainment marketing offerings, competition and the ability to develop or license intellectual property that is critical to the Company’s business, The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.
Contact:
Investor Relations for XONI
Zachary Mizener
zmizener@lambert.com
