Brian Rolapp

Brian Rolapp
Residence Darien, CT
Alma mater Brigham Young University, Harvard Business School
Occupation CEO, President, EVP
Organization CIBC World Markets, NBC Universal, NFL Network, NFL Media
Predecessor Steve Bornstein

Brian Rolapp is President and CEO of NFL Network and Executive Vice President of Media for the National Football League. He also oversees the League's sponsorship and consumer products businesses.

Career

Rolapp began as an analyst at CIBC World Markets for their Media and Entertainment Group. In 2000, after completing his MBA at Harvard Business School, Rolapp joined NBC Universal as the director of business development in New York. His concentration included NBC's cable and new media strategies and their acquisition of all properties of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which include USA Network, Sci-Fi and Trio. After three years with NBC, Rolapp moved to the NFL Network in 2003 where he became the director of finance and strategy. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president of media strategy and digital media. In 2007, his title was changed to senior vice president. He was promoted to COO of NFL Media in 2011 and in 2014 became the Executive Vice President of NFL Media and the CEO and president of the NFL Network, succeeding Steve Bornstein.[1][2]

Impact on NFL Media

Rolapp manages all NFL Media businesses including broadcasting, NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL Mobile and NFL Digital Media. NFL’s sponsorship, sales and consumer products groups also report to him.[3][4] Rolapp has spearheaded some of the largest and most comprehensive arrangements with major corporations in NFL history.[5] In December 2011, he was instrumental in the nine-year extensions with CBS, FOX and NBC which continue the NFL’s presence on broadcast television through the 2022 season.[6][7] He also helped secure an eight-year agreement to keep Monday Night Football on ESPN until 2022. Rolapp drove NFL Network and NFL RedZone distribution deals with Cablevision and Time Warner Cable in 2012. In 2012, NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package increased from eight to 13 games and had its earliest start date, kicking off in Week 2.[7][8] Working closely with members of the NFL owners’ broadcasting committee, he guided the process that led to the awarding of a rights package to CBS and NFL Network for Thursday Night Football in 2014 and 2015.[9] Currently in more than 72 million homes, NFL Network has carriage agreements with each of the country’s largest television providers including Comcast, DirecTV, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse. Under Rolapp’s leadership, the NFL has secured partnerships with some of the biggest names in social media.[10] Since 2013, NFL Media has teamed with Twitter,[6][11][12] YouTube, Facebook and Snapchat.[13] In the consumer products area, Rolapp and his team completed a number of contract renewals for the NFL, including the league’s partnerships with Nike for on-field apparel and Electronic Arts for video games. In his role overseeing the NFL’s sponsorship business, Rolapp helped engineer a wide-ranging agreement with Microsoft[14] and Xbox,[15][16] secured a contract renewal with Verizon, and completed a partnership with Bose[17] which has produced new state-of-the-art headsets for all NFL coaches to use in-game, enhancing on-field communications and play calling.

Personal life

Brian has been named to the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame.[18] He is a national trustee for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Rolapp graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts and the Harvard Business School with an MBA. He currently lives in Darien, Connecticut with his wife Cindy and their four children. Brian is a practicing Mormon and is passionate about sports, politics, technology and music.

References

  1. ↑ "N.F.L. Television Pioneer to Step Down Next Year". The New York Times. 31 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Flint, Joe (31 July 2013). "NFL's media chief Bornstein to exit in May, Rolapp will move up" – via LA Times.
  3. ↑ Burke, Monte (20 July 2011). "Football's Fantasy - Forbes".
  4. ↑ "NFL eyes fantasy bonanza as football lockout ends".
  5. ↑ "50 Most Influential: No. 46 — Brian Rolapp".
  6. 1 2 "Brian Rolapp carves out new playing fields for NFL game rights".
  7. 1 2 "NFL's Brian Rolapp Offers Insight Into Future Of League's Digital Distribution Model".
  8. ↑ "NFL's digital chief: 'Football is the only sure bet'". 26 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Here's How the NFL Is Beefing Up Its Digital Presence".
  10. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (4 May 2016). "Brian Rolapp Carves Out New Playing Fields for NFL Game Rights".
  11. ↑ "NFL exec: 70% of fans use a second screen while watching football". 4 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "Twitter and the NFL experience".
  13. ↑ "ESPN Deportes to air Super Bowl 50 in Spanish".
  14. ↑ "Microsoft HoloLens promises to bring game closer to fans".
  15. ↑ Staff, Xbox Wire. "Microsoft Partners with the NFL to Create NFL Now".
  16. ↑ "Xbox 360 Teams Up With The NFL".
  17. ↑ "Bose selected as NFL headset provider".
  18. ↑ "- SportsBusiness Daily - SportsBusiness Journal - SportsBusiness Daily Global".


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