Menu
People and Pop Culture

Doc O'Connor Surprisingly Steps Down At MSG; James Dolan Now Interim CEO

DAVID "DOC" O’CONNOR yesterday stepped down as MSG Co. President & CEO "without warning or public explanation," and MSG Exec Chair JAMES DOLAN is "stepping in" as interim CEO, according to Shaw & Smith of BLOOMBERG NEWS. The move is the "latest twist in the running saga of the Dolan family" that has "overseen years of basketball ineptitude and an ever-changing cast" of Knicks coaches. BTIG analyst BRANDON ROSS said, "I’m shocked. Doc has done a very good job. He was brought in to be an operator, and operationally everything is going great. That makes me wonder: does Jim want to be CEO himself?" O’Connor’s Hollywood background "was supposed to help" MSG "boost revenue from its venues." O'Connor "established residencies with entertainers" such as BILLY JOEL and JERRY SEINFELD, an "approach the company called 'artist-first.'" O’Connor left CAA in July '15 to join MSG. According to the company’s most recent proxy statement, O’Connor could get $47.6M, "based on Friday’s market close, if he wasn’t terminated for cause or if he left" MSG for a "good reason" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 11/13). In N.Y., Richard Morgan notes O'Connor was MSG's "third CEO in less than eight years" (N.Y. POST, 11/14). VARIETY's Cynthia Littleton noted O’Connor was "among the core group of leaders who took over CAA" in '95 after the departures of co-Founders MICHAEL OVITZ and RON MEYER. He was also a "key player" in the '06 launch of CAA Sports (VARIETY.com, 11/13). O'Connor's departure also comes as MSG is looking to unload the WNBA Liberty (THE DAILY).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/11/14/People-and-Pop-Culture/Doc-Oconnor.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/11/14/People-and-Pop-Culture/Doc-Oconnor.aspx

CLOSE