Julie Pizzi is President of Banijay-owned 51 Minds Entertainment and Bunim/Murray Productions. Pizzi has served as President of Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) since February 2021, where she leads the Emmy Award-winning production company behind many of the top reality series of the last three decades. Pizzi added oversight of 51 Minds Entertainment, the legendary unscripted studio behind the hit Below Deck franchise, in September 2023.

Pizzi, who began her television career at Bunim/Murray, has more than 25 years of experience developing and producing unscripted television. She’s currently serving as an executive producer on Bunim/Murray’s Buddy Games (CBS), The Family Stallone (Paramount+), I Survived Bear Grylls (TBS), and the upcoming Vanderpump Villa (Hulu). Pizzi also oversees Bunim/Murray’s hit The Challenge franchise, which currently has original versions for MTV, Paramount+, and CBS. The Challenge, which first debuted on MTV in 1998, is heading into its 39^th season. Pizzi recently helped develop and served as an executive producer on Amazon Prime Video’s Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, which was honored with three Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022, including Outstanding Competition Program.

At 51 Minds Entertainment, Pizzi now leads the team behind four separate versions of the hit unscripted franchise Below Deck—including Below Deck, Below Deck: Mediterranean, Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, and Below Deck: Down Under. Other 51 Minds series include hit HGTV series Married to Real Estate and the upcoming Drive With Swizz Beatz (Hulu). Pizzi started her career at Bunim/Murray, where she initially served as Creative Vice President and Showrunner for six years, and spearheaded development and executive produced high-rated seasons of Road Rules and Real World/Road Rules Challenge (MTV), as well as Born to Diva (VH1).

She has worked on numerous other series at Bunim/Murray, including Bill Nye Saves the World for Netflix, Facebook Watch’s Ball In The Family, as well as The Real World – Thailand, Mexico, and Atlanta for Facebook, Snapchat’s first docu-series Endless, Kim Kardashian West – The Justice Project for Oxygen and Family or Fiancé for OWN.

In 2004, Pizzi left Bunim/Murray to launch the award-winning reality and documentary company, PB&J Television. As Co-President of PB&J, Pizzi executive produced Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Model Search (NBC), the critically acclaimed documentary Reversal of Fortune (Showtime), teen favorite America’s Prom Queen (ABC Family), provocative therapy series Bad Sex (LOGO), as well as four seasons of the hit Dress My Nest (Style).

Pizzi returned to head up development at Bunim/Murray in 2015 and has produced programming for MTV, Facebook, Snapchat, Netflix, E!, Showtime, Paramount +, USA, Oxygen, OWN, HGTV, SYFY, NBC, FOX, Travel Channel, A&E, VH1, CMT, ABC Family, Style, Lifetime, The CW, TLC and Discovery.