Barry Diller is a renowned media executive who oversaw the development of film and television content at ABC, Paramount, the Fox Broadcasting Company, and QVC. Diller is the founder of InterActiveCorp (IAC), a media and internet 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:holding company, where he s♉erves as chairman and senior executive.

Early Life and Education

Diller was born on Feb. 2, 1942, in San Francisco, and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for one term. He began his career as a mail clerk for the Hollywood talent agency William Morris. In 1966, he joined the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

ABC

Diller was hired as a programming assistant at ABC, where he learned to negotiate broadcasting rights for feature films. Working his way up the corporate ladder, he eventually assumed the role of vice president of development. Diller helped ABC compete with rival networks by introducing successful programming innovations such as the TV miniseries, most notably “Roots,” and the Movie of the Week. Diller’s made-for-TV movies quickly became an industry standard.

Paramount Pictures

In 1974, Diller joined Paramount Pictures as chairman and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:chief executive officer (CEO). During his tenure, Paramount became the most successful of the Hollywood studios, producing such movies as “Saturday Night Fever” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the popular television series “Cheers.”

While at Paramount, Diller served as president of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:conglomerate’s newly formed Entertainment and Communications Group, which included Simon & Schuster Inc., Madison Square Garden Corp., and SEGA Enterprises Inc. 

Fox Broadcasting

In 1984, Diller moved to the film studio Twentieth Century Fox, where he served as chair and CEO. There, he helped launch the Fox Broadcasting Company with Rupert Murdoch as the nation’s fourth national television network, competing with rivals ABC, CBS, and NBC. He also oversaw the development of popular TV shows, such as “Married... With Children,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and the animated series “The Simpsons,” which debuted in 1989 and is still in production today after 35 years. Diller resigned from Fox in 1992 and became CEO of the QVC Network in 1993.

IAC

Diller remained at QVC until 1995, when he became chair of Expedia and CEO of Silver King Communications, the predecessor of IAC. During the 1990s and the early stage of internet shopping, he realized that technical leaps in interactivity would revolutionize commerce. In developing what would become IAC, Diller acquired and transformed companies that could buy and sell products online, such as the Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster, Expedia, and USA Interactive.

As of 2024, IAC operates many online brands, including Care.com, Angi Homeservices, the Daily Beast, and Better Homes & Gardens and People magazines.

Broadway

Diller began producing on Broadway in 2013; until 2021, he did so in collaboration with his friend Scott Rudin. They joined together on 11 shows. These productions have featured such marquee names as Denzel Washington, Glenda Jackson, Hugh Jackman, Laurie Metcalf, Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Nathan Lane, Renée Fleming, and Jeff Daniels.

Diller has supported projects for Roundabout Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, the Public Theater, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund through the Diller-von Furstenburg Family Foundation, which he maintains with his wife, Diane von Furstenburg, the influential fashion mogul. Diller also created Little Island, a park and performance center in the Hudson River.

The Bottom Line

Barry Diller, regarded as an influential leader in the media industry, has led multiple television and movie companies, including ABC, Fox Broadcasting Company, and Paramount. He is the chairman and senior executive of IAC, a media and internet holding company he created in 1995.

IAC owns Investopedia’s parent company, Dotdash Meredith.