This Week’s Movers in Sports Media and Marketing

This week in the sports media and marketing ecosystem, Michael Roth is set to head up FC Bayern’s Americas partnerships, NBC Sports taps Molly Solomon to run 2020 Olympics coverage, and Eve Rosenbaum becomes the highest-ranking woman in the Orioles’ baseball operations.

For job openings and more on who’s moving where, check out the Hashtag Sports Weekly roundup.

Michael Roth Joins FC Bayern Munich’s New York Office

Industry vet Michael Roth is joining FC Bayern’s New York office as Head of Partnerships (Americas). Roth, who got his start with Manchester United and then Liverpool FC, has been with FC Bayern since 2015, serving as Partnership Relations Manager and handling a wide portfolio of partners, including adidas, Beats by Dre, Konami and Apple. During his tenure he oversaw a number of successful partnership events, including the 2017 and 2019 Audi Cup, adidas kit launches, as well as the 2019 adidas’ Speedfactory campaign.

Roth will move to the team’s New York office where he will report to Rudolph Vidal, Head of Americas, and will be responsible for growing the club’s partner portfolio in the Americas and driving sales across the continent. Roth, who holds an MBA in Football Industries, is succeeding Benno Ruwe who returns to Munich to continue working in the club’s international department.

Molly Solomon to take over NBC Olympics production

NBC Sports has selected an executive producer for 2020 Olympics coverage following Jim Bell’s departure from the network. Molly Solomon, a veteran sports producer who has been with the network since the 1990s, will take the helm for the 2020 Tokyo production. Solomon currently oversees production for NBC Sports Group’s Golf Channel, a role she will continue in addition to managing all day-to-day editorial production of NBC Olympics coverage as well as the company’s Olympic Channel Cable outlet.

The Olympics are the most important sports rights NBC owns, having paid $7.65 billion in 2014 to extend its exclusive broadcast rights through 2032. The Games start in July and preparations are already underway at NBC, but the transition is likely to be smooth for Solomon who was coordinating producer for the Olympics from 2006-2012.

Bleacher Report hires Epix content exec Rachel Brill to head up B/R Studio

Bleacher Report has hired former Epix exec Rachel Brill as it looks to build out its mid- and long-form content capabilities. Brill joins the WarnerMedia-owned digital sports group as SVP and GM of the recently created B/R Studio, the new digital programming arm that aims to compete with ESPN in the unscripted sports space.

Brill, who was Head of Unscripted Digital Programming at Epix, will be based in New York and will report to B/R’s Chief of Content Officer Sam Toles. B/R Studio was born out of a need to further connect with an estimated 200 million Gen Z and Millennial fans through unscripted sports-themed fare, and Brill will be tasked with establishing a clear programming voice for the nascent venture. Brill came to Epix in March 2018 from Whalerock Industries where she was Head of Digital Studio.

Dakota Crawford to join the NHL’s social media team

IndyCar Social Media Strategist Dakota Crawford on Monday will be starting his first day on the NHL’s social media team. Crawford joined Indycar in June of 2018 and was responsible for managing the racing leagues’ social media accounts. A Ball State graduate with a degree in Telecommunications and Journalism, Crawford worked previously as Sports Producer for the Indianapolis Star, where he covered a number of beats including Notre Dame football, Purdue basketball, and the Indiana Pacers.

Orioles add Eve Rosenbaum as first-ever Director of Baseball Development

The Baltimores Orioles have hired former Astros Manager of International Scouting and Maryland native Eve Rosenbaum for the newly-created Director of Baseball Development position, making her the highest-ranking woman in the Orioles organization. Rosenbaum spent nearly five years with the Astros, where she worked under Assistant General Manager Mike Elias.

The Orioles tapped Elias to be the team’s new Executive VP and General Manager after the 2018 season. Rosenbaum is the third former Astro exec whom Elias has brought to Baltimore: assistant general manager Sig Mejdal and director of pitching Chris Holt came to the Orioles from Houston as part of Elias’ hiring.

Nzinga Shaw leaves Atlanta Hawks for Starbucks

Atlanta Hawks Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Nzinga Shaw announced on Linkedin that she will soon be assuming the same role at Starbucks. Shaw was the first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Officer for an NBA team and has been with the Hawks for five years. With a masters in Communications and Media Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, Shaw has extensive human resources and D&I experience including positions at Essence Magazine, The Yankees Entertainment Network, NFL, and Edelman.

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