Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hyphenate Media Group
Renowned as an entrepreneur, television executive, award-winning producer, Cris Abrego has been a formidable force at the forefront of the media and entertainment industry for over two decades. In 2023, he co-founded Hyphenate Media Group, a premium content studio and media holding company where he serves as Chief Executive Officer, setting the strategy and vision across the studio and all its holdings and investments.
Hyphenate is a television-first company dedicated to bold, creator-led storytelling. Under Abrego’s leadership, it develops and produces original scripted and unscripted formats for premium streaming, cable, and broadcast partners, while also investing in creator-owned IP and enterprises. The company operates with a 360-degree approach to content development—expanding select projects across film, audio, and digital verticals to maximize global audience reach and long-term IP value.
Throughout his career, Abrego has steered both established and start-up companies toward market leadership. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Banijay Americas and before that of Endemol Shine North America, where he led aggressive growth strategies, scaling major businesses in the U.S. and Latin America, including Endemol Shine Boomdog, Endemol Shine Brasil, and Truly Original. His entrepreneurial legacy began in 2003 when he co-founded 51 Minds Entertainment, where he pioneered the celeb-reality genre with breakout unscripted formats like The Surreal Life and its many spin-offs. The company quickly became a powerhouse in reality television and was acquired by Endemol five years later.
Abrego is also committed to prosocial and humanitarian endeavors that expand access to education, entrepreneurship, and creative leadership. In 2022, he was elected chairman of the Television Academy, the 23,000+ member organization that oversees the Emmy Awards and champions a dynamic and inclusive entertainment industry through recognition, education, and innovation.
updated 6.18.25
