TORONTO – Rogers Media has promoted Bart Yabsley to president of Sportsnet, effective immediately.
Yabsley joined Rogers Media in 2014 and was most recently SVP of sports and entertainment partnerships & content distribution. Prior to joining Rogers Media, he worked at Bell Media/CTV for more than 15 years in senior executive roles including EVP of content sales & distribution, EVP of business planning & distribution, and EVP of CTV Specialty Television Inc.
“Bart is a forward-thinking media executive with deep operational excellence, whose strategic vision, key relationships, and experience in all facets of the business will be a driving force in Sportsnet’s continued unparalleled delivery of sports content to fans,” said Rogers Media president Rick Brace, in Tuesday’s announcement. “Bart and I have a longstanding history together in sports and media. He is passionate about where the industry is going and understands the personal connection fans have to sports. Driven by innovation, he is the ideal leader to write the next chapter and champion Sportsnet’s ongoing success.”
Yabsley is responsible for leading the continued growth and evolution of sports content across all areas of Rogers, continues the announcement, overseeing Sportsnet’s multiplatform production, programming, rights acquisitions, sponsorships, distribution channels, and product innovation.
“The sports business continues to evolve at a rapid pace and I’m excited about Sportsnet’s future,” Yabsley added. “When I look at the programming and relationships we have firmly established, along with our creative product roadmap, production and editorial excellence, and the talent of the team, the opportunities for growth and innovation are endless. I am honoured to carry on the tradition.”
