YNOT – Erik Schannen has returned to Sureflix Digital Distribution Inc. as the company’s chief executive officer. Schannen, who founded the Toronto-based gay digital video-on-demand and broadcast company in 2000, stepped away from the helm but remained a shareholder after Private Media Group acquired Sureflix in November 2009.

Pursuant to settling a prolonged and very public U.S. legal battle for control of Barcelona-based Private’s sprawling worldwide empire, in July 2012 Private returned Sureflix and several other acquisitions to their original owners.

“Since then, the company has worked diligently to overhaul its signature platform and is currently working on augmenting its affiliate products and programs to meet the changing needs of the market,” a Sureflix statement noted. “Sureflix will continue to focus on its core VO products, which include Maleflixxx.TV, MinuteMale.com and ManFlixxx.com.”

Eric Johnson, who served as Sureflix CEO for nearly a decade and also served as the court-appointed receiver for Private Media during the latter’s legal battle, will continue to chair Sureflix’s board of directors.

He also “will work closely with Schannen on financial and operational areas of the business,” the statement indicated.

“For a long time, Sureflix has been a leading name in the gay adult industry with a trusted brand and reputation for quality products and services,” Schannen said. “Now that Sureflix is once again back in the hands of its original owners we can refocus our attentions on the products that made us successful. We intend to be more visible in the markets and more relevant in the gay adult industry.

“We are currently formalizing some strategic alliances and are working diligently to provide fresh, new, exclusive content to our network of sites,” he added. Stay tuned for more announcements coming soon.”

In addition to its online products, Sureflix represents gay production studios in various worldwide cable and satellite television, mobile and IPTV markets.