CBS CORPORATION CREATES CBS SPORTS PROPERTIES GROUP
Chris Simko to Lead Group as Senior Vice President Sports Sales and Marketing and Director CBS Sports Properties Group
CBS Corporation has created the CBS Sports Properties Group, designed to utilize all the varied assets of the CBS Corporation to sell the CBS Sports brand, as well as create brand extensions for its corporate clients and sponsors. The CBS Sports Properties Group is an extension of CBS’s NCAA Marketing Group. The announcement was made today by Jo Ann Ross, President, CBS Sales.
Chris Simko, who has served as Senior Vice President, Sports Sales and Marketing since 2002, has been named Director of the CBS Sports Properties Group and will retain his title of Senior Vice President Sports Sales and Marketing. Simko will continue to report to John Bogusz, Executive Vice President, CBS Sales and Marketing.
“The creation of CBS Sports Properties will aggregate and organize all of the company’s assets to build upon the brand of excellence that has always been associated with CBS Sports,” said Ross. “Directly connecting our commercial clients and corporate sponsors with the CBS Sports brand across multiple platforms will lead to strategic, long-term deals benefiting all.”
“With the ability to distribute programming across broadcast, cable, radio and interactive channels, the CBS Sports Properties Group can now take advantage of these distribution methods to provide our media clients and corporate sponsors with a connection to a variety of audiences in a highly targeted and meaningful way,” said Simko.
The CBS Sports Properties Group will work with all assets of the CBS Corporation including the CBS Owned and Operated Television Stations; CSTV; CBS Interactive, including CBS SportsLine.com; and the newly formed r.i.o.t (radio, internet, outdoor and local television) to maximize the CBS Sports brand.
Simko joined CBS in May 1994 as an Account Executive and was named Vice President, Sports Sales in March 1999. In his role as Senior Vice President, Sports Sales and Marketing, he manages the NCAA Corporate Champion Program in conjunction with the NCAA, as well as works with the PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USTA and the College Conferences on sales and marketing efforts. Simko also oversees the commercial and sponsorship sales of U.S. Open Tennis, golf and college sports.
Prior to joining CBS, Simko was Account Executive, U.S. TV Sales and Programming for TWI, a division of IMG. He is a graduate of Duke University (B.A., History, 1988). Simko resides in New York City.
