The most sought after job in sports media this summer will be the one vacated by Jamie Horowitz last week. Right now, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks is taking over all of Horowitz’s responsibilities, including programming, marketing and scheduling for FS1, FS2 and Fox Sports Digital. As he starts looking for Horowitz’s replacement, here are six internal candidates who will have the best chance of getting the position.
1) Bill Wanger, executive vice president of programming, research and content strategy, Fox Sports
Wanger is the most likely hire if Shanks promotes internally. Many Fox insiders say Wanger does not get enough credit for coming up with the idea to relaunch Speed as FS1. Wanger would provide a stark contrast to how Horowitz ran the network. A longtime Fox executive who hasn’t had a whiff of a scandal in his 28 years at the company, Wanger would bring level-headed stability to the position, which is something Fox brass wants to see.
2) Mark Silverman, president, Big Ten Network
Fox brass would love to convince the well-regarded Silverman to move from Chicago to take this job. But it would take a Herculean sales job to convince Silverman to take a job so heavily focused on studio production, especially considering that he currently runs everything from ad sales and affiliate relations to live event production at BTN.
3) John Entz, president, production, Fox Sports
A high-flier in the Fox offices, Entz is entrusted with all of the network’s live event production, including pregames and postgames. Adding FS1’s studio production and Fox Sports Digital to the mix would be a big job for one executive. Expect Shanks to keep these jobs separate.
4) David Nathanson, head of business operations, Fox Sports
Before Horowitz, Nathanson had the title of general manager and chief operating officer for FS1 and FS2. He has been relatively quiet for the past two years. But Nathanson is well-regarded and could be trusted to bring stability to the network.
5) Mike Mulvihill, executive vice president, research, league operations and strategy, Fox Sports
Mulvihill, whose L.A. office is next to the one used by Horowitz, is a long shot for the position. But he is well-regarded on the Fox lot and is being groomed for a bigger position at the network.
6) Henry Ford, senior vice president and general manager, Fox RSNs
Shanks also could look at Fox’s regional sports networks, which is where Ford would be at the front of the line. He’s another long shot, but in overseeing Fox’s RSNs in Southern California, Ford has the experience necessary to head up FS1.
