I’d love to see the response to this job posting on LinkedIn.
The most powerful sports media position among American sports leagues just opened up, with NFL media czar Brian Rolapp leaving to become the PGA Tour’s new CEO.
As the league’s chief media and business officer, Rolapp was one of the world’s most influential sports media executives over the last decade. Under the leadership of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he was the hands-on architect of the league’s 11-year cycle of media-rights deals worth $111 billion.
That enormous pile of rights fees will only grow, since Rolapp and Goodell were savvy enough to add opt-out clauses to the current deals that were signed in 2021 and run through the 2033 season. The $23 billion league is almost certain to exercise these opt-out clauses with CBS, Fox, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video after the 2029 season, and with ESPN after the 2030 season.
Under their watch, the NFL expanded beyond its usual reliance on linear broadcast/cable TV partners to add streamers like Prime, Google’s YouTube TV, and Netflix to its roster of media partners. Fox’s telecast of the Eagles’ victory over the Chiefs in Super LIX set a record, averaging 127.7 million viewers.
“Rolapp was brilliant at what he did. He and Goodell are two big reasons why the NFL is beachfront property not just of sports, but all entertainment,” said one sports TV executive.
Goodell’s contract runs through March 2027, but he is already in discussions about an extension beyond that.
So what happens next with Rolapp, saying goodbye after 22 years with the NFL? There’s a deep bench of media-savvy executives within the league’s New York headquarters on Park Avenue and Los Angeles media operation. Until Rolapp’s successor is named, the league will rely on a coterie of powerful executives. Here’s a look at who could fill Rolapp’s spot:
Hans Schroeder
- EVP of media distribution
- This powerful, respected executive is the odds-on betting favorite. The Princeton graduate’s résumé is studded with powerful media positions during his 24 years with the country’s richest, most powerful sports league. Schroeder sat down with FOS editor-in-chief Daniel Roberts and FOS Today cohost Baker Machado during Super Bowl week in February. “Our strategy from Day One has always been about reach,” said Schroeder.
David Jurenka
- SVP of NFL Media
- He oversees NFL Media on the West Coast, recently re-upping popular NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson to a new contract extension. As the point man for NFL Network, he could play a key role as the league tries to offload its media property to ESPN in exchange for an equity stake. Could Jurenka be the guy who sticks that landing?
Mike North
- VP of broadcast planning
- He’s the day-to-day Wizard of Oz behind how the league schedules its 272 regular-season games between media partners. When they have a plea or a beef, they look to North. He reports to Schroeder.
Beyond Park Avenue
The NFL, however, is not insular when it comes to hiring top executives. The league often looks to the best and the brightest from outside football. The NFL poached Madison Avenue when it hired Tim Ellis as the league’s new chief marketing officer in 2018. He was the creative executive behind Volkswagen’s Darth Vader spoof “The Force,” one of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials of all time. Since then, Ellis has helped the league appeal to female fans and younger consumers, with eye-popping work such as the two-minute-long “NFL 100” Super Bowl commercial in 2019.
So don’t be surprised if the NFL looks beyond Park Avenue. Or even grabs an executive it respects from one of its current media partners. As for Rolapp, he could become an instant contender for NFL commissioner when Goodell retires. As always, the NFL shield shines brightest in sports.
