This week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL features its list of "The 50 Most Influential People In Sports Business." Topping the list was NBCUniversal President & CEO STEVE BURKE, who "set the direction" for the many deals NBC closed this year. Every major decision he made "set off a confluence of action or reaction in the industry," and the company "was at the table for virtually every major sports rights negotiation." It "overwhelmed" IOC execs with its "aggressive bid for the four Olympic Games, while also winning bids for the NHL and MLS." NBC also "is poised to retain the NFL's 'Sunday Night Football.'" Burke "has influenced the process even when NBC was outbid." And over the course of the year, Burke "moved to instill a Comcast culture throughout NBC," which showed "in his influence on personnel matters" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/12 issue).
| MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN SPORTS BUSINESS |
| RANK | EXEC |
| 1 | NBCUniversal President & CEO Steve Burke |
| 2 | MLB Commissioner Bud Selig |
| 3 | ESPN President George Bodenheimer and EXEC VP/Content John Skipper |
| 4 | NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell |
| 5 | Fox Sports Media Group Chair David Hill, co-President & COO Randy Freer
and co-President & COO Eric Shanks |
| 6 | NBA Commissioner David Stern |
| 7 | IOC President Jacques Rogge |
| 8 | Patriots Owner Bob Kraft |
| 9 | NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman |
| 10 | Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones |
| 11 | AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke |
| 12 | Turner Broadcasting President of Sales, Distribution & Sports David Levy |
| 13 | CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus |
| 14 | PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem |
| 15 | Nike Inc. CEO Mark Parker and Nike Brand President Charlie Denson |
| 16 | NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus |
| 17 | NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France |
| 18 | IMG Sports & Entertainment President George Pyne |
| 19 | FIFA President Sepp Blatter |
| 20 | Lakers Owner Jerry Buss and Exec VP/Business Operations Jeannie Buss |
| 21 | NFL Exec VP/Media and NFL Network President & CEO Steve Bornstein |
| 22 | Time Warner Cable Exec VP & Chief Programming Officer Melinda Witmer |
| 23 | Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott |
| 24 | Wasserman Media Group Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman |
| 25 | Fenway Sports Group Owner John Henry |
| 26 | NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver |
| 27 | MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan |
| 28 | DirecTV Exec VP/Content Strategy & Development Derek Chang |
| 29 | NCAA President Mark Emmert |
| 30 | MLS Commissioner Don Garber |
| 31 | ESPN Exec VP/Sales & Marketing Sean Bratches |
| 32 | adidas Chair & CEO Herbert Hainer |
| 33 | A-B InBev CEO Carlos Brito and VP/Global Connections Maarten Albarda |
| 34 | CAA Sports co-Heads Michael Levine and Howard Nuchow |
| 35 | SEC Commissioner Mike Slive |
| 36 | NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith |
| 37 | Under Armour CEO & Founder Kevin Plank |
| 38 | MillerCoors President & CCO Tom Long and CMO Andy England |
| 39 | USOC Chair Larry Probst and CEO Scott Blackmun |
| 40 | Yankees Managing General Partner & co-Chair Hal Steinbrenner |
| 41 | UFC Chair Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White |
| 42 | MLBPA Exec Dir Michael Weiner |
| 43 | Coca-Cola Senior VP/Marketing Alison Lewis |
| 44 | MLBAM President & CEO Bob Bowman |
| 45 | Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban |
| 46 | Bruins Owner and Delaware North Chair & CEO Jeremy Jacobs |
| 47 | NHLPA Exec Dir Don Fehr |
| 48 | NFL Exec VP/Business Ventures Eric Grubman and
Exec VP & General Counsel Jeff Pash |
| 49 | Octagon President & CEO Rick Dudley |
| 50 | StubHub CEO Chris Tsakalakis |
