Astronauts Wanted Broadens Branded Entertainment Division With New Hire

Astronauts Wanted, the digital studio behind A Trip To Unicorn Island as well as Kian Lawley and JC Kaylen’s forthcoming H8TERS series, has tapped industry veteran Jonny Blitstein as its new VP of business development for branded entertainment.

Blitstein will be based in Astronauts Wanted’s New York offices, where he will dually report to founder and president Judy McGrath and chief creative strategist Nick Shore. Blitstein will be in charge of broadening the studio’s mission to create zeitgeist-y premium content — but within the branded marketplace.

“Putting the branded entertainment powerhouse team in place, of first Chris Murphy (SVP of branded entertainment) and now Jonny, speaks to our commitment to innovate and head the pack in this medium of branded storytelling,” McGrath, a former top MTV

exec who launched Astronauts Wanted in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment, said in a statement. “Additionally, it demonstrates our desire to partner with the world’s leading and most forward-thinking brands.”

The company announced its appointment of Murphy — a former Studio71 exec — to the position of SVP of branded entertainment in May, when it also tapped Kim Rosen as VP of development.

Prior to joining Astronauts Wanted, Blitstein served as the senior manager of sales for branded entertainment, media, and social influencer programs at Disney-owned Maker Studios. Before Maker, Blitstein led agency partnerships for CrowdTwist, a tech startup.