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Most Influential

50 Most Influential People in Sports Business

Our annual list of the executives who make the industry tick, who take it to new heights and, in some cases, can even bring it to a stop.


joe faraoni / espn
1
John
Skipper

President

ESPN

CHANGE FROM 2011: +2

It’s difficult to replace a legend, particularly one as well-liked as George Bodenheimer, but that’s exactly what Skipper has done in the last year. ESPN hasn’t skipped a beat under Skipper, cutting huge rights deals with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the Bowl Championship Series, ACC and Big 12, and investing more money in the content side of the business through the launch of Grantland, the hiring of two Pulitzer Prize winners and the expansion of “30 for 30.” (For more on Skipper, read his candid chat with Executive Editor Abraham Madkour and Media Writer John Ourand.)

New and notable on this year's list

{podcast}

SBJ's Abe Madkour and Tom Stinson on who rose, who fell, and who's new on the list.


Most Influential: 2 through 10

Most Influential: 11 through 20

Most Influential: 21 through 30

Most Influential: 31 through 40

Most Influential: 41 through 50

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: April 25, 2024

Motor City's big weekend; Kevin Warren's big bet; Bill Belichick's big makeover and the WNBA's big week continues

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.

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