Krzanich presided over Intel's $400M IOC TOP sponsorship deal that was announced last yearGETTY IMAGES
Intel CEO BRIAN KRZANICH this morning "resigned from the company effective immediately," with CFO ROBERT SWAN becoming interim CEO. Intel in a release said Krzanich "had a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee," which was a "violation of Intel's non-fraternization policy" (THEVERGE.com, 6/21). Krzanich presided over Intel's recent $400M IOC TOP sponsorship deal (THE DAILY). SBJ's Ben Fischer tweeted, "Not to overstate the case, but the Intel is the linchpin between the Olympics and esports. Suddenly it has a new CEO. Marketing priorities could change quickly. Something to watch." SBJ's Eric Fisher also tweeted, "Under Krzanich, Intel did deals w most of the major US sports leagues" (TWITTER.com, 6/21).
ACCESS, DENIED: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' class of invitees to the film industry's "most prestigious organization" will not include KOBE BRYANT, who "won an Oscar earlier this year" for his work on the animated short film "DEAR BASKETBALL." Oscar winners and nominees are "automatically considered for, though not guaranteed, membership." Bryant "did not make the final cut," owing to his "lack of a larger body of work in the film industry" (LATIMES.com, 6/20).
JET SET: L.A.-based talent agency ICM Partners has signed Turner Sports basketball analyst KENNY SMITH and his Smith Entertainment Group in all areas. SEG "inked a development deal with ITV America last year and is now in production" on the upcoming truTV series "OPEN COURT," as well as "READY FOR THE LEAGUE," which will "see Smith interview and counsel" NBA prospects on the eve of the Draft. Smith is also "developing TNT's scripted drama 'HOOP DREAMS'" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 6/19).
COURT REPORT: Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast MARCIA FREDERICK yesterday in a Massachusetts federal court filed a class action suit against USA Gymnastics, the USOC, former national team coach MURIEL GROSSFELD and club coach RICHARD CARLSON. The filing comes nearly three years after Frederick first reported to the NGB that Carlson "had sex with her when she was [a] teenager training with him" for the '80 Moscow Games (DAILYNEWS.com, 6/20)....The Univ. of Texas and former women's track coach BEV KEARNEY have "agreed to settle a lawsuit that claimed the school discriminated against her because of her gender and race when it fired her more than five years ago." Terms were not revealed, but Kearney's attorney said that the actual damages Kearney was asking for "approached" $4M (HOOKEM.com, 6/20).
NAMES: Mobile games publisher Scopely is "now valued at more than" $700M after it "raised an additional" $100M as part of its Series C round of funding. Individual investors in Scopely include Chernin Group Chair & CEO PETER CHERNIN and Warriors Co-Owner PETER GUBER (VARIETY.com, 6/19)....The Packers Foundation yesterday “awarded three $250,000 grants” to Brown County organizations “for the first time.” The team “announced five grants totaling” $1.25M. Packers employees “designated a $250,000 grant and the Packers Foundation awarded three $250,000 grants.” Also included was a grant toward Give Big Green Bay, a partnership of the Packers and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation (GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.com, 6/20)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. skier BODE MILLER is “donating to water safety education following his daughter’s drowning death” (NYPOST.com, 6/20).
IN MEMORY: Former Univ. of Tennessee radio play-by-play broadcaster JOHN WARD has died. Ward worked in the position “for more than 30 years” after assuming the duties for football in ’68. He “continued in that role through” the ’98 season. He became the voice for the UT basketball team in ’65 (KNOXNEWS.com, 6/20)….Former NFL Giants PR Dir ED CROKE died yesterday at 86 at his home in Jupiter, Fla. Croke joined the team in ’65 as Dir of Promotions and moved to worked in PR from ’72 until retiring in ’93 (AP, 6/20).
