'Oprah' producer signs with RelativityReal

Tom Forman's RelativityReal banner has sealed a rich, seven-figure deal with former "Oprah Winfrey Show" exec producer Ellen Rakieten.

Deal immediately makes Rakieten's production company, Ellen Rakieten Entertainment, a major player in the unscripted field. Multi-year production deal was announced by Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of Relativity Media and RelativityReal CEO Tom Forman.

Under the new deal, Rakieten will create and produce unscripted and scripted television series for the company.

According to RelativityReal, Rakieten will be given a seven-figure operating budget to hire a development and production executives and open offices in Los Angeles and Chicago.

"Ellen is the complete package: a talented producer, a gifted storyteller, and a savvy entrepreneur," Forman said. "Ellen is exactly the kind of person we're looking for as we continue to build RelativityReal into the consummate 'producer's shop' and the most nimble and creative television production company in the world."

In partnering with RelativityReal, Rakieten called the Forman shingle "a supportive, creative, entrepreneurial company that's ready to hit the ground running."

Rakieten spent two decades on "Oprah," joining the show at its 1986 inception. She currently serves as executive producer on "The Marriage Ref" with Jerry Seinfeld for NBC, as well as "Losing It With Jillian Michaels."