This Week’s Movers In Sports Media And Marketing

This week in the sports media and marketing ecosystem, Todd Kline joins Endeavor, Pat McAfee gets his break announcing Thursday Night College Football, and Maite Ventura will serve as La Liga’s Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

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

ESPN Adds Superstar Color Analyst to Thursday Night College Football Lineup

Pat McAfee is joining ESPN’s star-studded Thursday night college football lineup as a color analyst, as well as being set to make regular appearances on ESPN’s morning show, Get Up! After spending eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring in 2016, McAfee partnered with Barstool Sports to start The Pat McAfee Show. After leaving Barstool last August to independently produce his show, McAfee inked a multi-year contract with WWE in December and has served as a co-host for the company’s NXT TakeOver shows prior to making his NFL broadcasting debut as an analyst on FOX during the Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game last December. 

The Action Network Brings On New CCO

Ari Borod has been tapped by The Action Network as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer. In his new role, Borod is set to play a pivotal role as The Action Network grows its partnerships with media companies, leagues, and rights holders, as well as building affiliate partnerships with legal sportsbook operators. Previously, Borod spent the last four years at FanDuel in several strategic, legal, and regulatory roles—most recently as Vice President in charge of the company’s daily fantasy sports business.

Houston Dynamo & Dash Name CMO

Katie Scallan has been named the Houston Dynamo & Dash’s CMO after spending the past 16 years in a variety of roles with The Friedkin Group, a privately-held consortium of automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure companies. Scallan brings more than 20 years of experience in sports and entertainment marketing, including experience in both the MLS and in the Houston sports and business community.

Endeavor Brings On SVP of Sports Talent and Property Sales

Todd Kline has been acquired by Endeavor as the company’s new SVP of Sports Talent and Property Sales. In his new role, Kline will oversee all sales work for WME’s sports talent clients in addition to premium property sales work and naming rights across Endeavor. Prior to joining Endeavor, Kline worked as the Chief Commercial Officer for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins where he focused on sponsorship revenue, media sales, media rights premium sales, business solutions, and partnership activation.

Ticketmaster Expands on Executive Staff

The ticket sales and distribution powerhouse has named Kathryn Frederick as the company’s CMO, as well as David Eisenberg as the VP of Partnership Marketing and Andrew Samson as the VP of Brand Marketing. In Frederick’s new role as CMO, she will continue to develop innovative solutions for Ticketmaster and its clients to further engage fans across all channels from the initial event search to the event itself. Prior to her new role, Frederick served as SVP of Growth and Insights after joining Ticketmaster in 2015.

Activision Blizzard Media Acquires New Lead of Marketing

Claire Nance has joined Activision Blizzard as the company’s new Head of Marketing Communications for its advertising unit, Activision Blizzard Media. Prior to joining the media company, Nance was Director of Corporate Communications at IPG Mediabrands’ firm Reprise, Group Director of North 6th Agency, PR and Communications Manager for News Corp., and Senior Communications Specialist for the Special Broadcasting Service Australia.

ESPN Picks Up Social Media Specialist

Keely Diven recently announced via Twitter that she will be jumping to ESPN as a social media specialist for a multitude of ESPN programming including PTI, Around the Horn, Highly Questionable, and The Dan Le Batard Show. Diven comes to ESPN after a five-year career with NBC Sports Washington—most recently serving as a Digital Video Producer for the Wizards.

La Liga Announces New Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa

The Spanish football league, La Liga, has announced the appointment of Maite Ventura as the league’s new Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Ventura initially joined LaLiga in 2017 as a delegate for the Dubai office as a part of La Liga Global Network, a project launched in 2016 which was born out of the idea to bring La Liga to all parts of the world. This appointment represents another step towards La Liga’s commitment to boosting female talent both locally and internationally.

rEvolution Hires New EVP of Development

Matthew Carle has been brought on by rEvolution as the integrated sports marketing agency’s new EVP of Development. In his new role, Carle is ultimately responsible rEvolution’s enhanced global sales group. Having 18 years of experience under his belt, as well as holding company experience, Carle has shown tremendous expertise in attracting and expanding businesses, working closely with companies such as Verizon, KraftHeinz, Citibank, Walmart, New Balance, Nestle, and Heineken.

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