Sky reveals sports management changes
May 13, 2019
By Colin Mann
As it looks at new opportunities for growth as part of the Comcast family, Sky has revealed two major senior management changes with CEO Jeremy Darroch suggesting that one of the key areas for the broadcaster will be Sport.
In a message to staff, Darroch said that whether through new technology, new forms of content or new ways of engaging with customers and fans, there were many avenues open to it. “To lead this area, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Barney Francis to the new role of CEO Future Sport with immediate effect, reporting to me. Barney’s role will focus on the changing world of sport and our place in it, working with colleagues across both Sky and NBCU to look at global opportunities for growth for the benefit of the whole of Comcast,” he advised.
“Barney is perfectly placed to do this. He has been at Sky Sports for more than 20 years and Managing Director for 10 years. He has a wealth of experience producing a range of live sports coverage, support programming and sport news content. He has driven growth and innovation for Sky Sports in the face of increased competition in the Sports market, finding new and better ways to bring fans closer to the content they love. This makes him one of the most qualified executives to anticipate where the next big opportunities lie for us,” added Darroch.
Following Darroch’s announcement about Francis, Stephen van Rooyen, Chief Executive Officer, Sky UK and Ireland informed staff about what he described as “a number of exciting changes to my leadership team”, confirming the appointment of Rob Webster as Managing Director, Sky Sports, reporting to van Rooyen.
Webster’s career at Sky extends over twenty years and covers a variety of roles across group partner channels, legal and channels and operations. Most recently, Webster has been responsible for negotiating Sky’s deals with global content partners across all Sky territories and has also led multiple channel distribution negotiations with the broadcast industry.