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Game Changers

Game Changers: Karen Brodkin

LEANNE EINBINDER
Symbols of two big presences in Brodkin’s life: a photo of
son Quincy Beckett (named for Red Sox pitcher Josh) and
her father’s letterman jacket from Penn State.
Karen Brodkin
Fox Cable Networks
Senior Vice President

As a senior vice president at Fox Cable Networks, Karen Brodkin has been in the middle of some of the biggest deals in sports media this year. She quarterbacked Fox Sports’ rights bids for everything from the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences to the Olympics and Wimbledon.

But the one that may have the longest impact is the one Brodkin fashioned with The Ultimate Fighting Championship in August. Though Fox had been contemplating a mixed martial arts deal for years, Brodkin crafted the final agreement in a frenetic 36 hours. The resulting deal is one of the most complex ever struck by Fox, involving several platforms: Fox, FX, Fuel and digital. The deal also is unique in that it brings the biggest mixed martial arts group to broadcast television for the first time.

Brodkin, who started her career as an entertainment lawyer, has been with Fox since 1998 and has gained a reputation as one of the most thorough negotiators in the business.

— John Ourand
  • Crowning professional achievement: Being a part of the team that launched the Big Ten Network in 2007.
  • Biggest professional disappointment: That my dad passed away before he saw me close some of the biggest deals of my career.
  • What is the best advice you've ever received: Don’t forget to use spell check, and check your moral compass every day.
  • What keeps you awake at night?: Missing deadlines, and sending my son to school with non-eco-friendly stuff in his lunch box.
  • Woman in sports business you'd most like to meet: Serena Williams: She’s a smart, savvy marketer off the court.
  • One attribute I look for when hiring is …: The ability to multitask all day long, combined with a very good sense of humor.

WHAT OTHERSARE SAYING

“Karen is the consummate deal closer. She has a great understanding of how business and law intersect at multiple levels and in various disciplines. Plus, it’s fun negotiating against her.”

  • Woodie Dixon Jr., general counsel and vice president of business affairs, Pac-12 Conference

ADDITIONAL SECTIONS
PODCASTS

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: April 24, 2024

Bears set to tell their story; WNBA teams seeing box-office surge; Orlando gets green light on $500M mixed-use plan

TNT’s Stan Van Gundy, ESPN’s Tim Reed, NBA Playoffs and NFL Draft

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp has two Big Get interviews. The first is with TNT’s Stan Van Gundy as he breaks down the NBA Playoffs from the booth. Later in the show, we hear from ESPN’s VP of Programming and Acquisitions Tim Reed as the NFL Draft gets set to kick off on Thursday night in Motown. SBJ’s Tom Friend also joins the show to share his insights into NBA viewership trends.

SBJ I Factor: Molly Mazzolini

SBJ I Factor features an interview with Molly Mazzolini. Elevate's Senior Operating Advisor – Design + Strategic Alliances chats with SBJ’s Ross Nethery about the power of taking chances. Mazzolini is a member of the SBJ Game Changers Class of 2016. She shares stories of her career including co-founding sports design consultancy Infinite Scale career journey and how a chance encounter while working at a stationery store launched her career in the sports industry. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.
SBJ TV

Sports Media Podcast April 24 Whos Up Whos Down

4 mins

Sports Media Podcast April 17 2024 The Big Get Molly Solomon

5 mins

Sports Media Podcast March 27 2024

29 mins

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