Sinclair Broadcast Group has appointed former Amazon senior vice president Jeff Blackburn to serve as chairman and chief executive officer of Tennis Channel, coming out of retirement to take the role as he leads growth initiatives for the entity and helps expand its digital and streaming platforms.
Concurrent with this new position, he will relocate to Santa Monica, Calif. and work out of the network offices in that location, reporting to Chris Ripley, the president and chief executive officer of Sinclair. Blackburn, who worked with Jeff Bezos amid the proliferation of Amazon and creation of its Prime Video streaming service, is said to be slated to start his new role on Thursday, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
“Jeff’s appointment marks a pivotal step in our strategy to accelerate Tennis Channel’s growth and unlock long-term value across Sinclair’s portfolio,” Chris Ripley, president and chief executive officer of Sinclair, Inc., said in a statement.
“With a track record of driving innovation and scaling multibillion-dollar media businesses, Jeff brings the strategic vision and operational expertise to expand our digital footprint, deepen audience engagement, and capitalize on global sports and streaming trends. His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow Tennis Channel’s distribution and expand its direct-to-consumer offering, further establishing Tennis Channel asa global, always-on destination for fans across every screen and platform.”
Blackburn will be replacing Ken Solomon in the role after he was reportedly let go by the company last year. There were said to be concerns about Solomon’s involvement in Merit Street Media as an adviser and board member being “a growing distraction,” according to a report by Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal. At the same time, Sinclair was in the process of exploring a potential sale of the Tennis Channel and “a significant chunk” of its local television stations. Solomon held the role leading Tennis Network for nearly two decades before he was reported as being relieved of his duties with the company.
“Tennis Channel is a sports treasure,” Blackburn said in a statement. “It’s beloved by fans of the game, allowing for large growth opportunities ahead in streaming as well as new initiatives like Pickleball. Since childhood I’ve been intensely passionate about tennis, so I’m thrilled to take on the role and join this outstanding team.”
Tennis Channel presents 10,000 hours of live and on-demand matches, and it also has its own direct-to-consumer offering and free ad-supported streaming television channel as well. The entity previously had access to Roland-Garros, but TNT Sports recently signed a 10-year agreement with the French Tennis Federation for rights to the event. Sinclair closed on its acquisition of the stock of Tennis Channel for $350 million in March 2016, which was funded through cash on hand and a draw on revolving line of credit from the company. Blackburn revealed that Amazon looked into purchasing Tennis Channel and explained that he wondered if another opportunity with the network would come around as well.
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