Brent Montgomery

Brent Montgomery began his television career working for Texas CBS affiliate KBTX, which subsequently paid for the majority of his tuition at Texas A&M.[15] He later moved to New York and landed positions on such series as The Bachelor, Wife Swap and Blind Date.[16] Montgomery started his first production company, Leftfield Pictures, in 2002 with $10,000.[17] Leftfield Pictures initially shot wedding videos while developing its entertainment content and clientele, and eventually sold its first series, The Principal’s Office, in 2008.[16]

Montgomery developed the concept for Leftfield Pictures’ flagship series Pawn Stars while in Las Vegas for a bachelor party.[18] Struck by the number of pawn shops in the city, Montgomery set out to locate a shop with the right setting and staff around which to build a television series.[19][20] Ultimately, Montgomery negotiated a deal with Gold & Silver Pawn Shop co-owner Rick Harrison, and pitched the show to the History Channel.[21] In 2009, Pawn Stars premiered on History as a top rated series for the network, highlighting the “hidden treasures” genre of programming.[22] Leveraging the success of the series, which was one of the highest-rated shows on cable television,[23][24] Montgomery grew Leftfield Pictures rapidly[25] with myriad series and hundreds of programming hours soon added to Leftfield's roster.[26] In addition to Pawn Stars, other Leftfield Pictures series and Montgomery credits include the award-winning Alone,[27] American Restoration and Counting Cars for History;[16] American Grit featuring host John Cena for Fox;[28] Bethenny & Fredrik for Bravo,[29] and National Geographic Channel’s specials Billy the Kid: The New Evidence (executive produced by Kevin Costner)[30] and Brain Surgery Live.[31]

In 2013 Montgomery established parent company Leftfield Entertainment (LFE), and assumed the role of CEO, in conjunction with acquiring production company Sirens Media (Real Housewives of New Jersey).[32] He then launched additional production companies under the LFE umbrella – Loud TV[33] and Outpost Entertainment[34] – before selling 80% of the company for $360 million to ITV in 2014.[35] At the end of 2015, Montgomery completed a deal through which ITV acquired all of the Leftfield Entertainment group. As part of that process, he became CEO of newly formed production group ITV America,[36] encompassing original Leftfield Entertainment companies Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Outpost Entertainment, Loud TV; plus ITV Entertainment, Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment and Thinkfactory Media.[16] Collectively, they produce of a diverse range of series for broadcast, cable and OTT platforms, including FOX's The Four: Battle for Stardom[37] and Hell’s Kitchen; HGTV's Fixer Upper, Netflix's Queer Eye[38] and Girls Incarcerated,[39] A&E's Duck Dynasty and The First 48,[40] History's Pawn Stars, Alone and Forged in Fire;[41] Bravo's The Real Housewives of New Jersey,[42] and many others.[43]

During Montgomery's tenure as CEO of ITV America, the company struck numerous production and talent deals with TV personalities and celebrities including Michael Strahan,[44] WWE star John Cena,[45] Bethenny Frankel,[46] Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer,[47] Grammy award-winner Timbaland and author/actress La La Anthony.[48]

In January 2018, Montgomery founded Wheelhouse Entertainment and its production company Spoke Studios.[49] He currently serves as CEO of Wheelhouse Entertainment.

Brent married Courtney Napurano in September 2008.[50]

Montgomery was featured on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter on January 30, 2019, focusing on his new business, the Wheelhouse Group, and highlighting his contributions to reality TV.[51]

In June 2016, Montgomery was inducted into the Realscreen Hall of Fame as Producer Extraordinaire.[52]

In 2014 Montgomery became a founding member of the Non-Fiction Producers Association (NPA), the first professional body created to service the non-fiction TV business in the United States, and serves on its executive committee.[53] In 2017 the NPA merged with PactUS to create NPACT, on whose board and executive committee Montgomery also sits.[54] In 2018, he received NPACT's “Inspiration Award for Outstanding Achievement In Nonfiction[55]” as part of the organization's inaugural NPACT Impact Awards. And in 2019, Montgomery joined the Friends of the Saban Community Clinic board.

Montgomery is a member of Lincoln Center Corporate Fund's newly launched Media and Entertainment Council,[56] and a member of the Paley Media Council.[57]