Craig Piligian
| |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-08-25) August 25, 1957 (age 66) |
| Occupation | Television Producer |
| Spouse |
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
Craig Piligian (born August 25, 1957) is an Armenian American television producer, and the President and CEO of Pilgrim Films & Television. As an Executive Producer, he is best known for creating The Ultimate Fighter, American Chopper and Dirty Jobs series for Discovery Channel. In 2001, he won an Emmy Award as co-executive producer of Survivor.[1]
In November 2003, Piligian began producing Dirty Jobs, a series on the Discovery channel that focused on blue-collar jobs. The show ran for eight years and aired over 170 episodes.[2][3] The show ended in 2012.[2][3]
In 2004, Piligian worked with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta to bring a reality show about mixed martial arts, called The Ultimate Fighter, to television.[4] The reality series followed sixteen fighters that lived in a house and competed for a UFC contract.[5]
In 2012, Piligian was 18th on The Hollywood Reporter's "50 Most Powerful List".[6]
In 2015, Lionsgate purchased a major stake in Piligian's Pilgrim Studios for $200 million.[7][8]
In March 2016, Piligian partnered with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to create The Runner, an original series about mobile devices for streaming on mobile devices through the streaming service go90.[9][10] In 2018, Piligian worked with Roger Ross Williams to develop High on the Hog, a docuseries depicting African American history through the lens of food, based on Dr. Jessica B. Harris’ book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America.[11]
In April 2021, Piligian was named chair of Pilgrim Media Group and president.
He is married to Lucinda Dickey; they have two children, Joseph Michael (b. 1986) and Amanda Marie (b. 1989).[12] In 2016, Piligian purchased a historical ranch property in Kansas for $5.325 million.[13]
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