[7] At IFC Films he supported the early work of directors Barry Jenkins, Lena Dunham, Lynn Shelton, Christopher Nolan, Mira Nair, Noah Baumbach, Richard Linklater and Steven Soderbergh.
The film society experience led Sapan to purchase two 16 mm projectors and establish a mobile movie exhibition business in the Midwest, operating out of Athens Ohio, known as The Court Street Theatre.
[28] In 1987, Sapan joined the National Entertainment Division of Rainbow Media, a programming subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, as president of AMC and Bravo, where he spearheaded the development of notable and culturally impactful programs including “Inside the Actors Studio” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”[29] He was named CEO of Rainbow Media in 1995.
[32] Since its inception in 2000, IFC Films has produced or released more than 1,000 films in the U.S., including those of filmmakers including Lena Dunham's "Tiny Furniture",[33] Christopher Nolan's "Following", Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy",[34] Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook",[35] Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding",[36] Steve Soderbergh's "Gay's Anatomy",[37] and Suzanne Bier's "Brothers",[38] who the company would later go on to work with on the award-winning AMC miniseries “The Night Manager".
[39] The label won its first Academy Award in 2000 for Kimberly Pierce's “Boys Don’t Cry,” for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Hilary Swank's performance.
[40] Under Sapan, Rainbow Media launched WE tv and IFC (Independent Film Channel),[41] and in 2002, sold Bravo to NBC for $1.25 billion in stock and cash.
[45] That same year Sapan oversaw the debut of AMC's “Mad Men,” to widespread critical acclaim with the series going on to win 16 Emmys and 5 Golden Globes over the course of its run.
Under Sapan's leadership, Sundance Channel expanded into original programming with series such as Carlos, Rectify, Top of the Lake and The Honorable Woman.
[66] In 2014, Sapan helmed the premier of the Peabody Award-winning miniseries, The Honourable Woman, on SundanceTV, and led the release of the AMC Networks-funded Boyhood,[67] a critically acclaimed movie from director Richard Linklater that was filmed over 12 years.
[68] In the following years, Sapan continued the company's original programming with the Emmy Award-winning[69] BBC America series “Killing Eve,” as well as AMC's “Breaking Bad” follow-up “Better Call Saul.” The company has also been the American home to BBC's Emmy Award-winning natural history series including “Planet Earth II,” “Blue Planet II,” “Dynasties,” and “Seven Worlds, One Planet.” Under Sapan, AMC Networks was an early creator of targeted subscription video on demand services.
Sapan oversaw the creation of AMC Networks’ two subscription video on demand bundles, AMC+ and WE tv+, which launched in June 2020 on Comcast's Xfinity platform.
[84][85] In 2022, Sapan wrote and published a book, ”Third Act: Reinventing Your Next Chapter” focusing on what extraordinary people do when they reach what has conventionally been thought of as retirement age.
The book profiles 60 people such as Gloria Steinem, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Robert Redford, Norman Lear and Alan Alda.
Others include Hope Harley, founder of The Bronx Children’s Museum, Paul Dillon, who founded an incubator for new business for war veterans, and Steve Javie, NBA referee-turned-deacon.
Partnering with the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY, Sapan launched “Marvels of Media“ in May 2022 with an exhibition, awards ceremony, and festival celebrating autistic media-makers.
[88] In addition, Sapan works with The Fortune Society in New York, focusing on people who have been previously incarcerated and learning how to successfully reenter the workforce.