David Levy Becomes Big Man On Campus At Turner Broadcasting System
By Barry Janoff
August 5, 2013: David Levy, a 25-year veteran and the president of sales, distribution and sports for Turner Broadcasting System, has been promoted to president of TBS, effective immediately.
Levy adds oversight of Turner’s domestic entertainment and animation & young adults networks and business portfolios to his current role overseeing advertising sales, affiliate sales and sports units.
Levy, based in New York, will continue to lead advertising sales strategy and operations, as well as affiliate sales, marketing promotion, interactive television and technology business development, for TBS domestic news, entertainment, animation & young adults networks and businesses.
In addition, he still maintains oversight of the company’s sports programming acquisitions, production, marketing, league relations and sports ad sales.
His duties still include overseeing the alliance with CBS Sports regarding the joint production, sales and marketing of the NCAA Div. 1 Men's Basketball tournament. Levy and Sean McManus, president for CBS News and Sports, were major catalysts in 2010 when the two rival media companies united to bring March Madness games across both networks under a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal signed with the NCAA.
The portfolio of networks and brands under Levy's auspices include CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, and Turner Classic Movies. Turner has sports alliances that include MLB, NBA, PGA and Nascar (the latter through the 2014 season).
"His imagination and audacity echo the spirit of Turner’s founder and namesake, and he inspires great teams to do their best work."
"David is an extraordinary executive with a broad range of experience in just about every aspect of our business," Phil Kent, Turner CEO, said in a statement. "His imagination and audacity echo the spirit of Turner’s founder and namesake, and he inspires great teams to do their best work. Having worked closely with David for over 17 years, I know his capabilities and potential, and had planned to add to his already-considerable portfolio oversight of every aspect of our domestic entertainment and kids businesses, which represent well over half of our operating profit."