Retiring Chairman Sean McManus leaves CBS Sports activities with its important properties locked up long-term
Sean McManus has had little time to mirror on his practically 27 1/2-year tenure main CBS Sports activities. Over the previous month, there was the boys’s NCAA Event and this weekend’s protection of the Masters.
If something, McManus has approached the final six months since he introduced his retirement with a higher sense of gratitude. McManus’ last occasion as CBS Sports activities chairman is on the event that’s synonymous with the community.
“I’ve tried to soak all of them in much more than I often do and admire the unbelievable alternatives that I’ve had,” McManus stated throughout an interview final week with The Related Press. “Some is trying again, however trying again with nothing however pleasure and fondness for each the occasions I’ve been fortunate sufficient to cowl and the staff I’ve assembled.”
McManus, who turned 69 in February, began to contemplate retirement two years in the past. With CBS carrying the Tremendous Bowl this yr together with the NCAA Event and the Masters, McManus and CBS President/CEO George Cheeks agreed the timing was proper. David Berson, president of CBS Sports activities for over 10 years, is McManus’ hand-picked successor.
McManus’ profession began at a younger age when he received a front-row seat to sports activities manufacturing by going to occasions along with his father, the late Jim McKay, who hosted ABC’s “Large World of Sports activities” and coated 12 Olympics.
McKay additionally labored at CBS from 1950-61 and hosted protection of the Masters from 1957-60. That is the 68th straight yr for the Masters on CBS, making it the longest present relationship between a community and sporting occasion.
“You consider 74 years with the McManus household having their fingerprints on an occasion. It’s fairly cool to suppose three-quarters of a century. His dad had a mark on the event. Sean had a huge mark on this event for 28 years. It’s fairly superb,” stated Jim Nantz, CBS’s lead NFL and golf announcer, who additionally referred to as the Ultimate 4 from 1991 by way of 2023.
McManus began as a manufacturing assistant and affiliate producer at ABC Sports activities in 1977. Two years later, he moved to NBC and rose to vp of program planning and growth. In 1987, he was named senior VP of U.S. tv gross sales and programming for Trans World Worldwide, a division of IMG, earlier than becoming a member of CBS Sports activities as president in December 1996.
He was president of CBS Information and CBS Sports activities from 2005-11 earlier than being named CBS Sports activities chairman in February 2011.
“Only a few folks, if any, have ever impacted the sports activities media trade as a lot. On prime of that, he’s the epitome of sophistication,” Berson stated.
McManus got here to CBS Sports activities when it was primarily simply weekend programming. That grew to a cable tv community, web site and digital streaming.
Neal Pilson. who was CBS Sports activities president from 1981-94, is amongst McManus’ many followers for the way in which he has navigated a altering panorama.
“Now I see the enterprise as 10 occasions tougher, and Sean has navigated a way more complicated enterprise surroundings definitely as properly or higher than I might have completed,” he stated.
McManus’ most vital achievements have been bringing the NFL again to the community in 1998 and partnering with Turner Sports activities to hold the NCAA Event in 2010.
CBS was in some ways within the sports activities wilderness from 1994-97 when it didn’t have the NFL. It decimated the sports activities division and brought on CBS to go from first to 3rd in prime-time rankings and affiliate switches amongst stations in main cities.
Huge Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, who was with CBS Sports activities from 1997 by way of 2008, stated not a day glided by his first yr when he and McManus didn’t discuss getting the NFL again.
“For somebody who simply received there, they actually trusted him. The true ability was Sean getting the leaders at CBS motivated to do the deal,” he stated.
CBS’ profitable bid in 1998 was $500 million a yr. Its present settlement runs by way of 2033 at $2.1 billion per season. With the NFL serving to to advertise programming, CBS returned to being the highest prime-time community.
“It’s virtually not possible, most likely insurmountable, to have a broadcast community with out the NFL,” McManus stated. “It drives your entire distribution offers. It’s a promotional automobile. That’s huge. And, I believe, the published mannequin in the present day relies upon drastically on sports activities basically and the NFL particularly.”
McManus oversaw 9 Tremendous Bowls, together with Kansas Metropolis’s 25-22 extra time victory over San Francisco in February. The sport was the most-watched program in U.S. tv historical past, averaging 123.7 million viewers throughout tv and streaming platforms.
Roger Goodell, an integral a part of the NFL’s negotiating staff on tv agreements even earlier than changing into commissioner in 2006, stated McManus has lengthy been a trusted counsel on broadcasting issues, even when it didn’t immediately have an effect on CBS.
“It’s essential discover methods to enhance followers’ experiences, and Sean has that voice and expertise,” Goodell stated. “His counsel was helpful as a result of he was all the time the man who would have a really trustworthy and insightful perspective.”
McManus’ determination to staff up with Turner for March Insanity was motivated by two issues: the event was shedding cash on CBS, and splitting the nation into eight areas with out everybody getting access to all video games was outdated.
Beginning with the 2011 event, the gross sales staffs for CBS and Turner labored collectively, whereas CBS’ Clark Kellogg shares the studio desk with TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
The partnership additionally consists of the community’s alternating protection of the Ultimate 4. TBS and TNT carried the title sport for the primary time in 2016. Starting subsequent yr, every community will common paying $550 million per yr by way of 2032.
McManus additionally ushered CBS into soccer with the Champions League and NWSL. The NWSL signed a wide-ranging rights deal that expanded its distribution throughout a number of networks, however a package deal of regular-season video games stays on CBS, together with this season’s championship sport airing in prime time for the third straight yr.
“They noticed us as the way forward for the sports activities viewers, and due to that, they stretched the boundaries of the settlement with us,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman stated. “After I took the job, I challenged them about having our championship in prime time and what a giant distinction it could mark for us. And for the final two years of that deal, they labored to make it occur.”
McManus leaves CBS with all its important properties locked up long-term. Along with the NFL and March Insanity, the NWSL goes by way of 2027, the Huge Ten and UEFA Champions League rights run by way of the 2029-30 season, whereas the PGA Tour and PGA Championship offers do not expire till 2030.
“The timing is correct,” McManus stated. “I believe it’s good for the division, and it’s superb for me.”
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