NEW YORK – February 11, 2013 – Lou Koskovolis, Major League Baseball’s former Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales and Marketing and 15-year sales veteran at ESPN, has been named Senior Vice President, Sales for NBC Sports Group’s Golf Media, which includes Golf Channel, Golf Channel on NBC, and a portfolio of golf-related digital platforms and events. Koskovolis will be responsible for all sales and sponsorship efforts for the portfolio. He will report to Seth Winter, EVP, NBC Sports Group Sales and Sales Marketing, and will work closely with Mike McCarley, President of Golf Channel, who leads the NBC Sports Group’s Golf Media team. Koskovolis will begin his duties on Monday, February 18.
“With his diverse experience and unparalleled, professional contacts, Lou is the ideal leader to manage our multi-dimensional media and commercial golf assets,” said Seth Winter, EVP Sales and Sales Marketing, NBC Sports Group. “Our position within the golf industry is unique, and Lou will manage golf sales across our broadcast, cable, digital, retail, event and lifestyle businesses. This is as close to a one-stop-shopping scenario as you can get in golf.”
“Lou is a well-respected sports industry veteran with a proven track record and he believes in what we are building as part of the NBC Sports Group,” said Mike McCarley, President of Golf Channel. “He takes a partner-focused approach and shares a deep passion for the game, which will contribute to developing innovative partnerships across our portfolio of golf businesses.”
NBC Sports Group’s Golf Media is anchored by Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC, which is home to some of golf’s biggest events including the U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PLAYERS Championship, the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. Golf Channel, which is the fastest-growing television network since joining the NBC Sports Group, features live coverage from all the professional tours. With its most-watched year ever in 2012, Golf Channel is building upon this success by showcasing more hours of tournament golf surrounded by daily news programs, acclaimed original series and new acquired events including the World Long Drive Championships this October, the NCAA Golf Championships beginning in 2014 and the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, which will feature golf’s return to the Olympics after more than 100 years.
The Golf Media portfolio also encompasses GolfChannel.com; mobile streaming, news and instruction apps; the GolfNow tee time booking service, SwingFix instruction platforms and the nationwide Golf Channel Amateur Tour.
Koskovolis joins the company from MLB where he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales and Marketing since 2011 responsible for all corporate sales and sponsorship efforts on behalf of MLB properties. Prior to that, he was the EVP, Corporate Alliances at Six Flags Entertainment where he created a national, regional and local sales organization, responsible for driving sponsorship revenue across all 19 Six Flags domestic and international theme parks. Koskovolis previously spent 15 years at ABC Sports and ESPN where he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility, culminating with his role as EVP, Customer Marketing and Sales.
Koskovolis is skilled at developing innovative sales packages for clients, but also has a passion for the game of golf, evident by his 10 handicap. Koskovolis lives in Manhasset, NY with Christine, his wife of nearly 25 years; Luke, his 18-year-old son; and Nicole, his 16-year-old daughter.
ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL
As the fastest-growing network on television, Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, a leading golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.
Contact:
David Schaefer
Vice President of Communications
david.schaefer@golfchannel.com
407-355-4542
Covering the business of golf!
