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Plugged In: Larry Novenstern, Tennis Channel

Media industry veteran Larry Novenstern has been with Tennis Channel for 2 1/2 years, working as vice president of integrated partnerships. Prior to that he was a media buyer for the likes of Optimedia and Deutsch, when he bought Fox’s NFL halftime sponsorship and NBC’s Triple Crown sponsorship for Visa.

When I was buying ads for Visa and Pepsi, I would push the upfront because I was concerned that somebody in my category was going to take things that I wanted in a general market. Would the inventory actually be there? It just feels like the inventory is more open now.


Photo by: STEPHANIE SPERANZA
About today’s upfronts: It’s something that still should be there, but it doesn’t need to be the be-all and end-all for everybody like it used to be, especially with all the choices that marketers have now.

How much of Tennis Channel’s business is going digital?: Not much. Close to 90 percent of our inventory is linear TV. Until we develop more traction there, our main goal is to sell the linear network and work with big brands. If there’s money against it, it will come along as part of the overall deal.

The hot categories: For us, it’s always been about financial. This year, we’re doing really well in the automotive category. Those are going to be the top two categories as we go through the year.

What the cable bundle will look like in five years: There’s no question it will be different; I don’t know how it’s going to be different. A lot of that has to do with what we’re doing with Apple TV and Roku and others in that area that we’re close to cutting deals with.

About the Apple TV deal: Apple TV came to us at CES a year ago, and now our app is above the fold. Our linear network is now an option on Apple TV.

On whether tennis needs American stars: Absolutely not. If you think about the popularity of the name brands — Serena, Maria, Rafa, Roger, I’ll add Novak in there, too; he’s the No. 1 player in the world — this is a phenomenon that transcends nationality.

— John Ourand

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